Covid 19 coronavirus: Good news for Air New Zealand Koru Club members

Air New Zealand has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic and needed a Government bailout this week. File photo / AP / Nick Ut

In a rare bright spot for travellers, Koru Club members will have the duration of their memberships extended by six months.

Members would soon be contacted about the move, Air New Zealand chief revenue officer Cam Wallace tweeted this afternoon.

"We will continue to review this as the impact on our operations becomes clearer."

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The goodwill gesture comes after the embattled national carrier slashes routes as the coronavirus pandemic closes borders and isolates people to their homes around the world, including in New Zealand, which began a month-long lockdown three days ago.

Air New Zealand this week dropped its international flights down to just 11 routes amid the tightened travel restrictions.

The new international schedule, which will be in place from Monday until May 31, saw a 95 per cent drop in international flights for the airline.

"AKL/SYD - 3 per week. AKL/MEL/BNE - 2 per week. AKL/Fiji/Raro/Niue 1 rtn flight per week. Samoa and Tonga suspended. Tasman flying ex CHC/WLG suspended," Wallace tweeted.

"On the @FlyAirNZ long haul markets. AKL/Hong Kong 2 per week and AKL/LAX 3 per week. Our domestic schedule will allow connections and is currently up to date but will be reviewed daily. We anticipate on-time performance to be outstanding."

As for so many businesses around the country, and the world, it's been a torrid time for the airline, which received a $900 million Government loan this week but still needs to lay off up to 30 per cent of its 12,500 staff. The Government owns 52 per cent of the airline.

It was announced today eight Air New Zealand long haul fleet employees who operated sectors to Los Angeles or London had tested positive for coronavirus.

None of the staff had flown since testing positive to Covid-19, an Air NZ spokeswoman told the Herald in a statement.

All were at home and the Ministry of Health contract tracing and other procedures had taken place.

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website