Air NZ to add 84 extra flights for Lions tour

Air New Zealand said today it would add an extra 84 domestic flights for the Lions tour.

The tour is being billed as one of the biggest sporting events to take place in this country. Economists estimate the "economic roar" from the seven week, 11 match tour will add 0.1 to 0.2 percentage points to gross domestic product in the middle of the year.

Those in the tourism sector are hoping for a boon to the industry as the series coincides with the low season winter period.

The extra flights put on by Air NZ provide an additional 9167 seats from June 5 to July 10.

Marketing manager Norm Thompson said the additional capacity would use all the company's domestic fleet plus some of its A320 aircraft.

The extra services would include 41 flights to and from Christchurch, 38 to and from Auckland, 38 additional flights to and from Wellington and 22 additional to and from Queenstown.

Air NZ is a major sponsor of the All Blacks and plans a marketing blitz to coincide with the tour.

The Lions will play in nine locations -- eight matches in the North Island and three in the South Island -- where hotel bookings have reportedly swelled to capacity.

Air NZ shares were unchanged on $1.41 today.

- NZPA