Air China has announced that it will start a daily Beijing-Auckland nonstop service on 10 December using A330-200 aircraft. The new service is part of Air China’s continuous move to expand its presence in Oceania and this route will be operated through a strategic partnership withAir New Zealand. In 2015, Air China has significantly ramped up its efforts to expand its global reach and in 2015, China has become the largest market of exports and source country of imports for New Zealand.
New Zealand has also become a major destination for Chinese tourists, having increased by 34.8 per cent by the end of October. “Air China and New Zealand will not only unlock the potentials of the tourism markets of Beijing, North China and Northeast China, but also solidify Air New Zealand’s position in the regional markets of Shanghai and East China, offering more travel options to Chinese travellers to New Zealand,” Wang Mingyuan, senior VP of Air China China said.