United increases flights to Auckland

Press, 12 July 1988, Page 6

United increases flights to Auckland

Air New Zealand is facing more competition on its Pacific routes from the world’s biggest airline. United Airlines has applied to the Government for authority to increase its frequency to a daily service. At present it flies through Auckland five days a week.

The extra services would add about 1600 seats to and from the United States on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Christchurch, however, will miss out. The airline’s New Zealand manager, Mr Wayne Dodge, said there was no immediate plan to service the South Island. “Our first and main objective was to build up our frequency to a daily

service,” he said. “We have nothing planned for Christchurch in the foreseeable future.” United, which took over Pan America’s route across the South Pacific two years ago, increased its frequency from four flights to five a week in May. The airline is hoping to fly daily in November.

Air New Zealand has confirmed it will start flying a weekly Boeing 767 service from Singapore to Christchurch later this year. It will fly non-stop to Christchurch, but travellers heading to Singapore will still have to pass through Auckland. In other changes revealed yesterday, the airline will reintroduce

Boeing 747 s on two of its services to Singapore from Auckland. At present it uses the smaller 87675. Christchurch will also get a daily service to Sydney. The airline, which was to have handed the Hong Kong route back to Cathay Pacific Airways in December, will now stay on the route to give New Zealanders two flights a week.

A fourth flight will be introduced to Japan.

Its . services to Los Angeles will be cut from 12 to 10 flights a week — a move necessary to release aicraft for the increased services to Asia. The airline will retain a daily service to Los Angeles.