Issue Date: 23rd October 2019
Air New Zealand is axing London flights, marking the end of its flagship international route after 36 years - with the loss of up to 130 jobs.
The airline announced today it was canning its Los Angeles-London flights from next October but it will also add a non-stop flight to New York from New Zealand.
Air New Zealand acting chief executive officer Jeff McDowall said the route would operate as scheduled until October 2020 but no tickets have been sold beyond that date. Air New Zealand has chosen to announce the withdrawal more than a year in advance to allow time to support its people and to avoid any impact to customers booked to travel.
McDowell said the company was also "accelerating its ambitions" for North America and will launch a non-stop service between Auckland and New York using its 787-9 Dreamliner in October 2020.