Air New Zealand cuts flights to Australia by 80 per cent as coronavirus bites

Air New Zealand Senior Manager Customer Care and Communications Doug Grant discussing the airline’s capacity reductions. Video / Supplied

Air New Zealand will cut its Tasman capacity by 80 per cent for three months in response to new travel restrictions and slumping demand.

These changes follow yesterday's announcement on capacity reductions and will take effect from March 30 through to June 30. These dates may change if demand reduces further. Overall, Tasman capacity will reduce by 80 percent over this period.

The following outlines the capacity changes on Tasman routes:

• Wellington to Sydney: Reduced to two return services per week.

• Christchurch to Sydney: Reduced to two return services per week.

• Auckland to Sydney: Reduced to seven return services per week.

• Auckland to Brisbane: Reduced to five return services per week.

• Auckland to Melbourne: Reduced to seven return services per week.

All other Tasman routes are suspended from March 30 to June 30 as follows:

• Auckland-Adelaide

• Auckland-Cairns

• Auckland-Sunshine Coast

• Auckland-Coolangatta

• Auckland-Perth

• Christchurch-Brisbane

• Christchurch-Melbourne

• Christchurch-Coolangatta

• Wellington-Brisbane

• Wellington-Melbourne

• Queenstown-Melbourne

• Queenstown-Sydney

• Queenstown-Brisbane

Due to the large number of schedule changes, the airline has urged customers to only contact the airline if they are due to fly within the next 48 hours or need immediate repatriation to New Zealand or their home country.

The airline will also park many of its Boeing 777s over the next few months, doing most of its restricted internatinal flying with more efficient Dreamliner aircraft. The airline has eight 777-300s with an average age of eight years and the same number of 777-200s which are 13 years old on average.

It has 14 Dreamliners although some have been out of action over the last two years because of Rolls-Royce engine problems.

Yesterday the airline - which is facing a battle for survival - announced it would cut long haul routes by 85 per cent and domestic flying by 30 per cent.

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