Air route competition

Press, 20 March 1982, Page 6

Air route competition

NZPA London Australia's international airline, Qantas, can expect further competition with its Australia-Britain • return flights as a result of Air New Zealand’s intention to fly Auckland-London return services from later this year. Air New Zealand’s chief executive, Mr N. M. T. Geary, said in Auckland that the airline was finalising arrangements for the start of the twice-weekly Boeing 747 Auckland-London services. In both directions the new service will fly via Los Angeles on the United States west coast and Papeete in Tahiti. «The first service is scheduled to leave Auckland on August 25 and the inaugural service from London is dye to be on August 26.

Both Qantas and British ' Airways, which also offer regular Australia-Britain return services, fly a route that ■takes' their flights across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. In London on Thursday Air New Zealand’s marketing ■manager for the United Kingdom and Europe, Mr Garry Court, explained after a press conference that on Air New Zealand’s new services the plane that leaves London would fly on from Auckland into Sydney, and the plane used for the return journey to London would leave from Sydney. Mr Court said the airline saw opportunities on the United Kingdom-Australia run with this through-plane service. Air New Zealand, he said,

in terms of product pricing for the Auckland-London service, and in general at all levels of the market, would’ not allow itself to be placed in an uncompetitive position. Mr Court said with its forthcoming service Air New Zealand Would participate in the' existing fare structure between Britain and New Zealand. That was based on April 1 levels. These fare figures, as given by Air New Zealand in London on Thursday were: — one-way - Epic fare, $1184; Excursion, $1728; and Economy, $1864; — return — Epic, $1760; Excursion, $3526, and Economy, $3728. Mr Court said these were the fare figures now in existence for all regular airlines servicing the London-Los Angeles-New Zealand route.