Air NZ flies Dreamliner to Fiji summer

Air NZ says it is pulling out of its Japan - Christchurch service later this year to concentrate on its existing year round daily service from Tokyo's Narita Airport to Auckland. Photo / NZ Herald

Air New Zealand says it will start flying a Dreamliner to Fiji from Auckland this summer.

It will use the Boeing 787-9 on the Nadi route from November to March, adding 8000 more seats than last year.

The Dreamliner will initially operate two new services per week building to five during the peak mid-December to late January period. There will also be an extra weekly Airbus A320 service added to the summer schedule to meet passenger demand.

It will be the first time its Dreamliner has operated in the Pacific Islands.

Air New Zealand chief sales and commercial officer Cam Wallace said Fiji continued to be a hugely popular destination for Kiwis with the number of Kiwis travelling there growing steadily during the past three years.

The Dreamliner services will initially operate on Saturdays and Sundays, extending to Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays during the peak. The additional A320 service will operate on Sundays.

The plane, which offers big fuel savings, has been in the airline's fleet since the middle of last year. The extra capacity is part of sharp growth in Air New Zealand operations on domestic routes and on long haul services. At the end of the year Air New Zealand will start flying directly to Buenos Aires in Argentina and Houston, Texas also.