Air New Zealand plans international network rebuild with MIQ end in sight

With MIQ ending from 14 Feb, the airline wants to rekindle Kiwis' love affair with travel. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The long-awaited demise of Managed Isolation next year has shaken up the travel plans for New Zealanders flying home.

With arrivals from Australia being exempt from MIQ after 17 January and the rest of the world from 14 February, the airline is expecting there will be a lot of travellers will want to rethink their travel. Or, finally make new plans to fly abroad.

"This is incredibly exciting news for New Zealanders at home and overseas and we can't wait to welcome our customers back on board," said the airline's chief of customer Leanne Geraghty.

With New Zealand nationals no longer subject to isolation, the airline says it hopes that plans to open the border to international travellers can be moved forward.

"We can be ready before late April to fly visitors from around the globe," said Geraghty.

The news that from Valentine's Day Kiwis will be able to return quarantine-free from anywhere in the world, they plan to rekindle their connections with popular international routes.

Dates for restarting key air links to Los Angeles, Fiji and Honolulu will be announced soon, said the airline.

Ahead of the restart of quarantine-free flights from Australia, bookings from 1 to 16 January will be canceled and customers will be recommended new flights or have their fares transferred into credit.

Passengers currently booked onto 'red flights' with MIQ allocation may wish to reschedule their travel.

The Airline is encouraging passenger to use their online self-service tool to adjust bookings or hold fare credit.

On Monday the airline made the decision to cancel over 1000 scheduled flights through until Christmas, the largest cancellation since the pause of the Transtasman bubble.

There is currently a greatly reduced schedule of 'red flights' and links into Sydney and Melbourne.

However now armed with a clear date for the restart of quarantine-free travel the airline can begin to rebuild its network form Australia.

From February 1 all international passengers flying with Air New Zealand will be required to show proof of full vaccination.