New Zealand carriers restrict ops as lockdown beckons

With New Zealand set to return to lockdown following a string of COVID-19 cases in Auckland earlier this month, Air New Zealand and Jetstar Airways among other carriers have announced adjustments to their respective operations. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a statement last week that Auckland will remain at Level 3 with the rest of the country to remain at Level 2 until 2359L, August 26, 2020. In a statement, Air New Zealand said that from Tuesday, August 18, it will operate a reduced domestic schedule to and from Auckland Int’l to allow for essential travel. The rest of the carrier’s domestic network will operate as normal under Level 2, with physical distancing in place. Australian carrier Jetstar meanwhile will suspend all of its domestic New Zealand services until August 26 at the earliest. Its services had included flights from Auckland to Christchurch (30x weekly return flights), Dunedin (seven weekly return flights), Wellington (27 weekly return flights), Queenstown (19 weekly return flights), and Christchurch to Wellington (14 weekly return flights) and Wellington to Queenstown (7 weekly return flights). Air Chathams (3C, Chatham Island) has also suspended most of its flights until August 27. However, the carrier has insisted that its flights to Chatham Island (from Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland) itself are unaffected. Sounds Air (S8, Picton), which does not serve Auckland, has said it will update its operations to reflect Level 2 requirements (single-aisle seating on all flights and thorough cleaning and sanitisation of aircraft between flights). Its network focuses on Wellington, Blenheim, Nelson, Picton, Taupo, Westport, and Paraparaumu.