Air NZ announces Christchurch-Adelaide service after getting planes out of ‘the sin bin’

New aircraft and leased engines have helped Air New Zealand launch a new Christchurch to Adelaide service and boost domestic flights.

The service to Adelaide announced today will start on October 27, with about 15,000 seats available until late March.

It follows an announcement earlier today about more flights from Auckland to Dunedin, Christchurch and Queenstown.

Air New Zealand chief executive Greg Foran told the Herald engine availability was a big driver of the expansion.

“Christchurch-Adelaide was always on our list of things to do.”

But he said despite strong demand, the airline for a while did not have available aircraft.

Some Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce engine maintenance issues have plagued the airline.

Foran compared the problem to a league team having players “in the sin bin” and unable to compete at full strength.

“As we move from six AOGs or aircraft on ground to five aircraft on ground to four aircraft on ground, we can start to add services and seats in.”

Foran said the airline had been able to lease a few more Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines.

“It comes at a cost, but we think it’s important that we can start to get a bit more flying into the system,” he said today.

“And Pratt & Whitney themselves are returning to us the engines that they are fixing.”

He said that was allowing for 36,000 more seats on Auckland-South Island services from later this month.

The engine lease durations varied but were for several years, Foran said.

Foran also said two new A321s were arriving imminently from the Airbus plant in Toulouse, France.

“They are internationally-configured. We’re going to be adding a lot of seats across the Tasman. They are literally landing as we speak.”

The Christchurch-Adelaide service would run twice a week with fares from $340 one-way.

Flights will leave Christchurch on a Monday and Friday.

The duration of the service is subject to regulatory approval but expected to wrap up on March 27 next year.

John Weekes is a business journalist covering aviation. He has previously covered consumer affairs, crime, politics and court.