Alerts Sign-up
Air New Zealand is receiving a new Airbus A321neo, which is making an extended delivery flight from Hamburg, Germany, to Auckland. The route has changed from the traditional path through the Middle East and Asia due to increased tensions in those regions. Instead, the aircraft will travel via Canada and Hawaii.
Historically, Air New Zealand’s Airbus deliveries have included stops in Muscat, Kuala Lumpur, and Darwin or Cairns before reaching Auckland. This latest delivery takes a different route with stops in Halifax, Nova Scotia—a first for Air New Zealand—followed by Vancouver and Honolulu. The decision to fly this route was influenced by operational considerations and current safety assessments.
The airline stated that working with existing ground partners such as Swissport at these North American locations makes transit more efficient. According to Nathan McGraw, Chief Safety and Risk Officer at Air New Zealand, "the airline continuously conducts risk and safety assessments, and due to ongoing uncertainty, the decision was made to fly via Canada, the United States, and Samoa." The delivery flight will cover about 13,000 miles compared to roughly 12,440 miles on the traditional route.
