A direct air connection between the two countries would make New Zealand more attractive as a host of large-scale incentives out of India.
In the near term, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will establish codeshare arrangements between the two airlines on 16 routes between India, Australia and New Zealand.
The agreement was signed last week in Mumbai, in the presence of New Zealand’s prime minister, Christopher Luxon, who used to the CEO of Air New Zealand.
“India represents a key growth market for Air New Zealand, and we are excited about the opportunity to enhance connectivity for travellers between our two countries,” said Air New Zealand’s current chief executive, Greg Foran.
“This codeshare agreement is an important first step, offering more options for customers while we work to understand what a direct service could look like.
“Today’s event underscores the significance of the India market to New Zealand, not only for tourism but also for strengthening business and education ties. We are committed to working collaboratively to grow the travel market over the coming years, ensuring a strong foundation for a successful direct service by 2028.”
India is a strong visitor market for New Zealand, with Tourism New Zealand research showing that 18 million people in India – more than three times New Zealand’s entire population – are currently considering a visit to New Zealand.
Recent statistics from Stats NZ also show that India is one of only two key inbound markets for New Zealand that had exceeded pre-pandemic visitation numbers by the end of last year.
“This partnership will not only strengthen our presence and simplify customer journeys, but also help us develop traffic so that, in time to come, we may viably operate a non-stop service between India and New Zealand, which we and Air New Zealand have committed to explore together with the respective authorities,” said Air India’s managing director and CEO, Campbell Wilson.
The MoU also covers Tourism New Zealand’s commitment to grow visitation from India to New Zealand.
