Air New Zealand defends flight route and capacity cuts amid regional backlash

Summarised by Centrist

Air New Zealand is facing criticism for cutting flights and reducing capacity on several regional routes, including swapping larger jets for smaller planes on some Queenstown and Dunedin routes, resulting in fewer seats. Routes like Christchurch to New Plymouth are also seeing a reduction in weekly flights, and direct flights from Invercargill to Wellington will be scrapped next year. This has led to accusations that the airline is prioritising profits over its responsibility to serve regional communities. Air New Zealand’s domestic manager, Scott Carr, pushed back on the idea that the decision was profit-driven. He explained that the changes are necessary to stem significant losses in these markets, stating, “It’s not in anyone’s interest that Air New Zealand is losing money.”

Read more over at RNZ