Air New Zealand cuts flights amid surging fuel costs

Air New Zealand announced it will reduce approximately 5% of its flights, or around 1,100 services, through early May, citing soaring jet fuel prices and travel disruptions caused by the ongoing conflict in Iran and the Middle East including Qantas Airways of Australia, SAS of Scandinavia, and Thai Airways, in announcing airfare increases this week, blaming a sharp rise in fuel costs that has unsettled the global aviation sector.

Airports serving regions such as the popular New Zealand winemaking area of Marlborough and the west coast city of New Plymouth are expected to see service reductions in the coming weeks, although most long-haul flights will remain largely unaffected, Reuters reports.

“People want to get to Europe still, and over the U.S. airspace we can get them into Europe, and that's what we're focused on doing,” said Air New Zealand CEO Nikhil Ravishankar in an interview with state-owned Radio New Zealand.

The airline emphasized that the cuts are primarily operational adjustments to manage the sudden increase in fuel costs, while ensuring continued connectivity for passengers traveling on key international routes.

By Vafa Guliyeva