Air New Zealand (ANZ) is leasing three new Boeing 737-300s to enable it to boost capacity on services between New Zealand and Australia.
The airline will increase frequencies with 26 new services weekly from Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington. Qantas is introducing 11 new flights on the trans-Tasman routes, using a mix of Boeing 767s and 737s.
The three 114-seat 737-300s will enter service between April and August. One aircraft is being leased from General Electric Capital Aviation Services, and the other two from Seattle-based Boullioun Aviation Services.
The 737s will be introduced on Australian routes from Wellington, where noise sensitivity had limited the operation of the carrier's hushkitted 737-200s. "We also see these new aircraft giving us greater flexibility to serve other markets," says ANZ managing director Jim McCrea.
ANZ says that the acquisition is separate from its fleet-renewal programme for the replacement of the airline's 12 ageing 737-200s on domestic routes, for which it has a long-standing order for six 737-300s. "We've had to give priority to our trans-Tasman operations with the realisation of the Australasian single-aviation market," says Mccrea. "Our next step will be to determine the nature and timing of aircraft to replace the 737-200s on domestic services," he adds.
ANZ will now be operating 192 trans-Tasman flights weekly, compared with 158 for Qantas.
Source: Flight International
