MUMBAI: Star Alliance Partners - Air New Zealand and Air India - on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) wherein the two airlines will explore the introduction of a direct service between India and New Zealand by the end of 2028, subject to new aircraft deliveries and approvals from relevant government regulators.
The MoU was signed at an event in Mumbai in the presence of the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Christopher Luxon, and other dignitaries.
The MoU includes the establishment of a new codeshare partnership on 16 routes between India, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand, conferring travellers more choice and convenient access between the two countries.
Customers will now be able to travel from the Indian cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai on Air India, and connect at Sydney, Melbourne or Singapore onto Air New Zealand-operated flights to Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Queenstown.
“India represents a key growth market for Air New Zealand, and we are excited about the opportunity to enhance connectivity for travellers between our two countries. We are committed to working collaboratively to grow the travel market over the coming years, ensuring a strong foundation for a successful direct service by 2028,” said Greg Foran, Chief Executive of Air New Zealand.
Campbell Wilson, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Air India said that this partnership will not only strengthen our presence and simplify customer journeys but also help us develop traffic so that, in time to come, we may viably operate a non-stop service between India and New Zealand, which we and Air New Zealand have committed to explore together with the respective authorities.
Currently, Air New Zealand customers travelling between New Zealand and India benefit from strong connectivity options via Singapore Airlines, offering a smooth transit through Singapore.
The MoU also outlines Tourism New Zealand’s commitment to growing inbound tourism from the Indian market. Tourism New Zealand’s research shows that 18 million people in New Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai are actively considering travelling to New Zealand, making it a key emerging market. More than 80,000 international travellers arrived from India last year, 23% more than in 2019.