Sunseekers Rejoice As The First Flight To Rarotonga Takes Off.

Togs, hat, sunscreen, check! New Zealanders are off to get some sun as the first flight in the two-way Cook Islands travel bubble has taken off from Auckland today.

A full flight, NZ940 departed Auckland at 8.55am NZT bound for Rarotonga, reconnecting families, helping to give a much-needed boost to the local economy. The flight will also deliver doses of the Pfizer vaccine ahead of the Cook Islands vaccination roll out.

Air New Zealand Chief Customer & Sales Officer Leanne Geraghty said the airline has seen strong sales, in particular throughout July and October, coinciding with school holidays.

"It’s no surprise that Kiwis are booking in a much-needed break, especially as the temperature drops at home. In 2019 we saw almost 110,000 New Zealanders head to Rarotonga, so it’s great to see strong demand for flights following the bubble announcement.

"Initially, we’ll be offering two flights a week on Tuesday and Saturday. This will ramp up to daily in July to ensure that we can help as many Kiwis as possible escape for some well-deserved R&R."

With New Zealanders comprising two-thirds of all visitors to the Cook Islands and tourism being the mainstay of the economy, the first flight taking off is a significant milestone in the region’s recovery.

Cook Islands Tourism Corporation General Manager for Australasia Graeme West says there is no better time for Kiwis to visit the tropical island paradise as holidaymakers will have the place to themselves.

"Tourism makes up 75% of the Cook Islands GDP, so when numbers hit zero in March 2021 when borders closed, it caused significant hardship for many people. Today is a momentous occasion for the local community, and they will be ready to welcome the first arrivals with open arms."

Customers will be required to wear masks during travel to and from Rarotonga and screening questions will be asked at check-in. To be eligible to travel, customers will need to have been in New Zealand for the preceding 14 days. Due to requirements from the Government of The Cook Islands, bookings for flights to Rarotonga will be closed 48 hours prior to departure.

We know that last minute changes can happen so we’ve extended our flexibility policy allowing customers with flights scheduled to depart before 11:59pm on 31 December 2021 have the ability to opt into credit or make a change to the date or time of the flight with change fees waived (fare difference may still apply).

Air New Zealand’s Rarotonga schedule below:

Flights are now on sale at www.airnz.co.nz.

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