Air New Zealand To Resume International Departures Tomorrow, Introduces More Flexibility

• International passenger departures to resume at 12 noon tomorrow
• Domestic and regional network back up and running
• Update on customers affected
• More flexibility introduced on impacted flights

Due to floodwater damage to processing technology at Auckland International Airport, Air New Zealand is unable to resume international flying out of Auckland until 12 noon tomorrow (29 January).

“It’s great news from Auckland Airport that the terminal will be open for flying from 5am tomorrow, but it’s unlikely we’ll be ready to restart departures after assessments today show significant damage to ticketing, baggage and processing equipment. We have teams working around the clock behind the scenes to continue to get these systems back up and running as soon as possible,” Air New Zealand Chief Operational Integrity and Safety Officer Captain David Morgan says.

Some international flights will arrive in Auckland from 7am, but all international passenger departures have been cancelled up until midday Sunday 29 January, with the airline working to reaccommodate customers.

“We know from midday that airport and airline operations will be back up and running, and we’ll be restarting with around three flights an hour as we ease into it. For context, we usually operate around 13 baggage belts, but with the damage we could be down to as few as three. This is why we’ll slowly ramp up services as we gain greater confidence that we can deliver these services.

Domestic network back up and running

Air New Zealand restarted flying its domestic and regional routes in and out of Auckland at midday today (Saturday).

“Other than a few delays shortly after restarting, our domestic operation is largely back to normal. Safety remains our top priority. We’re working hard to clear the backlog of customers and reiterate that customers not needing to travel should utilise our flexibility policy”.

Update on impact to services

The airline estimates it was forced to cancel around 240 flights (165 domestic and regional, and 78 international were cancelled up until midday tomorrow) as a result of the flooding, affecting thousands of customers.

“We understand that this has caused significant inconvenience and disappointment for our customers, and we apologise for the disruption. We’re doing everything in our power to minimise the impact and get everyone to their destinations as quickly and safely as possible.”

Greater flexibility for those impacted

Air New Zealand has introduced flexibility on all fare types for customers who hold tickets for travel to, from or through Auckland between Friday 27 January 2023 and Monday 30 January 2023 on an Air New Zealand flight.

Domestic customers are able to rebook in the same class of travel between Saturday 28 January 2023 and Monday 6 February 2023 without fare difference, penalty or service fees. International customers have until Monday 13 February. If travel is only available in a higher cabin, the fare differential will apply.

If customers no longer wish to travel, they can choose to cancel their flight and request a credit through ‘Manage Booking’.

Customers will have 12 months from the day the credit is processed to book a flight, and another 12 months to travel. For information about credits, please see our website.

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