The airline is expecting a packed season ahead.
Air New Zealand is gearing up for a busy Southern Hemisphere summer season with its aircraft capacity already stretched to the limit. The airline recently removed one of its 777s from storage and is now considering leasing another aircraft to meet demands for the coming months.
Air New Zealand is anticipating a packed southern summer season and wants to be prepared for increased demand. The airline projects to operate at around 90% of its pre-CVOID domestic and international capacity for the next six months and is already stretched in terms of its aircraft utilization.
According to Airways Magazine, the carrier is considering wet leasing a widebody airplane to support operations, with its Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran adding,
“We know customers want the Air New Zealand experience, and that's what we want to deliver too. But at the moment we're stretched to capacity, and making sure our customers are able to travel is our top priority. The lease of an additional crewed aircraft may help us achieve that.”
Foran also gave an update on other efforts by the airline to bolster operations, including hiring and rehiring more than 2,000 employees, including pilots and airport staff.
The airline is busy ramping up operations as travel demand continues to increase in a post-COVID world. Recently, Simple Flying reported that Air New Zealand is preparing the first of four Boeing 777-300ERs to leave the long-term aircraft storage park at Victorville.
Air New Zealand Chief Operating Officer Alex Marren had commented,
“No one could predict what would happen in the pandemic, and now that demand has recovered faster than anticipated, we knew it was time to bring these aircraft back from Victorville.”
July was Air New Zealand's busiest month since early 2020, and demand for flights in and out of the country is strong. Air New Zealand's fleet of 787 Dreamliners is busy, and by next year, all seven Boeing 777-300ERs will have rejoined the airline's working fleet.
We don't know for sure which aircraft type the airline is looking for, and its CEO even stressed that the decision to wet lease for additional capacity was still only tentative.
The news for leasing another aircraft comes even as the carrier cuts down its 6-month schedule due to staff sickness. Air New Zealand is recording its highest rates of employee sick leave in over a decade and experiencing a series of disruptive last-minute flight cancelations.
To keep operations smooth ahead of the busy months, the airline is cutting capacity by 1.5%, which will affect around 10,000 passengers.
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However, as the management looks to hire more employees and with additional aircraft in the pipeline, Air New Zealand will hope to make the most of the upcoming travel season.
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Source: Airways Magazine
Journalist – With a background in publishing and digital media, I like to combine my love for aviation with my passion for storytelling and reporting. I’m a keen observer of ever-changing aviation trends around the world and particularly in India. I also keep a close eye on fleet development of all major carriers and their subsequent impact on regional and international routes. Based in New Delhi, India.