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(CNN) — After 16 hours within the sky, Air New Zealand’s first ever direct flight to New York Metropolis arrived at JFK airport on September 17.
“As one of many world’s best cities, Air New Zealand is proud so as to add the Huge Apple to its listing of 29 worldwide locations,” Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran mentioned in an announcement, including that the filght connects his two favourite cities on the earth.
New Zealand reopened to worldwide vacationers on July 31, 2022.
The airline’s need to safe a slot at JFK was by no means a secret.
When the flights have been introduced earlier in 2022, Foran mentioned “Historically, flight numbers 1 and a pair of are used for an airline’s flagship route. And that is what New York can be — our flagship route.”
Along with New York, Air New Zealand flies to 5 different locations in the US, together with San Francisco and Honolulu.
As New York is the airline’s first (and presently solely) direct flight to the east coast, it will likely be simpler for passengers from New Zealand to attach onward to North American and European hub cities.
All the things on board was made to really feel particular for the inaugural journey.
On board meals have been comprised of New Zealand meats, wines and produce, together with paua saucisson (abalone sausage), which made its airline debut.
Some New Zealand notables have been on board the flight, equivalent to Stuart Nash, New Zealand’s minister of tourism, former prime minister Helen Clark. Present prime minister Jacinda Arden was reportedly planning to hitch however needed to go to London for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral as an alternative.
Nonetheless, there was one surprising wrinkle over the weekend.
Some passengers on the NZ1 itinerary from New York to Auckland found upon touchdown that their luggage didn’t make the journey with them.
“Sadly given further gas necessities because of opposed climate, some buyer luggage have been unable to be loaded in New York and we’re getting them to New Zealand as quickly as doable,” Air New Zealand COO Alex Marren informed CNN Journey.
“We’re in contact with clients to replace them and reunite them with their luggage. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this has prompted.”
The airline assures CNN that this was a one-time subject and provides, “We have now processes in place to make sure our clients get to their locations safely and check out scale back disruption as a lot as doable throughout an excessive climate occasion.”
Air New Zealand has some heavy competitors within the battle for the world’s longest passenger flight.
The airline ordered 12 Airbus A350-1000s planes, with hopes that the ultra-long-haul routes can start working in 2025. These flights will clock in over the 19-hour mark, making them the world’s longest continuous flights.
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