Air New Zealand |
A 787-9 Dreamliner took off from Auckland airport yesterday, in a long-anticipated first-ever direct flight to the big apple.
The launch of the new ultra-long-haul route was originally planned for 2020 – but was shelved after Covid hit and borders closed.
Tourism Minister Stuart Nash says pre-pandemic, Americans made up 10 percent of our tourists but 60 percent of our luxury tourists.
He says New York is a valuable market carrying a two-billion dollar figure – and our value proposition at the moment is extremely strong.