EL SEGUNDO, California � Air New Zealand today announced it is increasing flights from San Francisco to Auckland from three to six times per week. Beginning November 29, 2005, the San Francisco to Auckland route will be the first to guarantee additional flights using Air New Zealand�s new Boeing 777-200 aircraft, with flights available every day except for Mondays.

�Since it was introduced in June last year, the San Francisco-Auckland route has proven to be remarkably successful for driving both inbound and outbound travel,� said Gus Gilmore, vice president of Air New Zealand � The Americas. �New Zealand has seen a significant increase in visitors from the Western Region of the United States, and the introduction of our new 777 aircraft later this year allows us quickly fulfil the growing demand for travel between the two countries.�

The 12-hour and 45 minute flight will depart from San Francisco at 7:15 p.m. PST. After an overnight flight that crosses the international dateline, travelers arrive in Auckland at 5:15 a.m. two days later.

According to San Francisco Airport (SFO) Director John L. Martin, Air New Zealand�s plans to increase service will be a tremendous benefit to the airport and its travelers.

�We congratulate Air New Zealand on the expansion of its non-stop service from San Francisco to Auckland, a route that connects one world-class city with another,� said Martin.

In addition to doubling the number of flights from SFO Airport, the Boeing 777-200 will allow Air New Zealand to increase the number of seats available to travelers by 62 percent per week - from 2,352 seats to 3,756. The Boeing 777-200 aircraft will feature Air New Zealand�s new long-haul in-flight product that includes 26 Business.

Premier Class seat and lie-flat beds, 18 Pacific Premium Economy Class seats and 269 Pacific Economy Class seats. The addition of Air New Zealand�s new Pacific Premium Economy Class seats makes it the only airline to offer premium economy seating on services to and from New Zealand.

About Air New Zealand Air New Zealand offers more direct flights to the South Pacific than any other airline, including flights from Los Angeles to New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Australia, Fiji, Tahiti, the Cook Islands, Tonga and Samoa. Air New Zealand now offers non-stop service from San Francisco to Auckland and Los Angeles to Christchurch, the gateway to New Zealand�s South Island. United Mileage Plus, US Airways Dividend Miles and Air Canada�s Aeroplan members earn and redeem mileage on selected flights. The readers of leading travel magazines consistently rate Air New Zealand among the world�s best international airlines. For more information, please visit Air New Zealand online at www.airnewzealand.com/usa or www.airnewzealand.com/canada, or call 1-800-262-1234 in the United States and 1-800-663-5494 in Canada.

CONTACTS:

Lucy Powell Communications Manager Air New Zealand - The Americas Ph: 310.967.2900 lucy.powell@airnz.com