More Air NZ flights for Tauranga

Air New Zealand has announced there will be more flights in and out of Tauranga.

Air New Zealand has announced there will be more flights in and out of Tauranga.

The extra flights will operate between Tauranga and both Auckland and Wellington.

The airline will operate an additional 10 one-way services a week between Tauranga and Auckland from April next year. The additional flights will leave Auckland at 9.15am and return from Tauranga at 10.25am Monday to Friday.

A further 10 one-way services will also operate each week between Wellington and Tauranga from April 2019. The Sunday to Thursday service will depart Wellington at 5pm and return to the capital from Tauranga at 6.45pm.

Air New Zealand head of regional affairs Reuben Levermore said demand for services in and out of Tauranga continued to strengthen.

"We're pleased to be able to boost capacity by adding additional services using our 68-seat ATR aircraft on both our Auckland-Tauranga and Wellington-Tauranga routes to meet this demand. We're also looking forward to opening our new Air New Zealand Regional Lounge at Tauranga Airport next month to cater for travellers out of the city.

"We're committed to continuing to support the growth of tourism in Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty and this includes working closely with stakeholders in the region – such as the airport, council, Tauranga Chamber of Commerce, economic development agency Priority One and Tourism Bay of Plenty."

Tauranga Mayor Greg Brownless welcomed the news and said the extra flights would provide more choices for tourists and local residents.

"They also reinforce the decision to renovate and extend the airport building and infrastructure to cater for growing air travel demand well into the future."