From September 2014, Air New Zealand will move its twice-weekly international service to Monday and Thursday, rather than the current Tuesday and Saturday departures.

Rotorua International Airport will also reduce its international departure tax from $25 to $15 from late October.

Air New Zealand Chief Operating Officer Bruce Parton says, “The new schedule will better suit the needs of customers travelling between these two ports for both business and leisure purposes.”

Rotorua International Airport Chief Executive Alastair Rhodes says reducing the departure tax will help further grow passenger demand.  “It’s absolutely critical for us to be attractive to regional customers. The reduction in departure tax and the new, more convenient timetable will help us to achieve that.”

Both parties have also agreed to suspend the Rotorua-Sydney service during the off-peak winter season between May and August, aiming to focus on growing passenger numbers during the peak September to April travel season.

Ends

Issued by Air New Zealand Public Affairs ph +64 21 747 320

About Star Alliance:

Air New Zealand is proud to be a member of Star Alliance.  The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer worldwide reach, recognition and seamless service to the international traveller. Its acceptance by the market has been recognised by numerous awards, including the Air Transport World Market Leadership Award and Best Airline Alliance by both Business Traveller Magazine and Skytrax. The member airlines are: Adria Airways, Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAM Airlines, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI, United and US Airways. Overall, the Star Alliance network offers more than 21,900 daily flights to 1,328 airports in 195 countries.

For more information about Air New Zealand visit www.airnewzealand.com and for more information about Star Alliance visit www.staralliance.com