Air New Zealand eyes Hobart-Auckland flights

When New Zealand gets on board with a trans-Tasman 'travel bubble', Air NZ will launch direct flights to Tasmania.

AIR NEW ZEALAND B777-219 ZK-OKG (MSN 29403) File Photo

Air New Zealand plans to add Hobart to its map, once "quarantine-free travel" is possible between Australia and trans-Tasman counterpart. Currently, only passengers arriving into Australia on designated 'green' flights from NZ can escape the two-week lock-up, although New Zealand mandates quarantine for all international arrivals: even for those travelling from areas with zero cases of COVID-19. Once those hurdles have been overcome, Air NZ would provide two return flights per week on the route, running on Thursdays and Sundays in each direction.
The schedule aims to provide "the best long weekend options for travellers," says Air NZ CEO Greg Foran. "We know Tasmanians love to visit New Zealand and this non-stop service to Auckland will make it that much easier to get out into our great outdoors and access our winter playgrounds."

The route would be Hobart International Airport's only regularly-scheduled international flight.

Air NZ plans to use its modern Airbus A320neo jets on the route, which fly in an all-economy configuration. However, passengers pining for business class can book 'Works Deluxe' fares, which deliver an experience similar to Euro Business. While sat in an economy-style seat, these guests get a guaranteed vacant seat beside them, as well as complimentary catering, checked baggage, entertainment with movies, and more.

Talk of a trans-Tasman travel bubble has now been circling for almost a year, with several mooted commencement dates having come and gone. But this week, New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson was positive that borders would open soon. "I’m very optimistic we’ll sort that out in reasonably short order. I don’t think we’re too far off," he told Radio New Zealand this week.
But, there are "a few issues still to talk through, including what we do in the event that there is an outbreak, how we manage people who aren’t in their home country at that time."

Prior to COVID-19, Air NZ offered regular and seasonal flights to nine Australian airports.
These included Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Cairns and Norfolk Island, with Hobart to be the airline's 10th Australian destination.

The international terminal was opened in 1983 to facilitate Trans-Tasman air traffic. In 1985 the terminal was upgraded, along with the runway, to provide limited 747 operations. There have been no regular international flights serviced by the airport since 1998, when Air New Zealand suspended operations to Christchurch. At present the terminal is used solely by Skytraders for flights to Antarctica and occasional charter airline flights. The terminal's apron has a single wide-body parking bay overlapping two narrow-body bays. This bay is able to accommodate large wide-body aircraft up to and including Boeing 747-400 and 777-200. 

Story sourced from here
Air New Zealand eyes Hobart-Auckland flights - Executive Traveller