\u201cBut we also have to be quite upfront that to make these things make sense for airlines is a lot of hard work, particularly for New Zealand. We are a small market. <\/p>\n
\u201cHow do we make everything line up to make the decision easier to deploy aircraft to New Zealand?<\/p>\n
\u201cAirports work very hard to make New Zealand attractive, but there\u2019s more that we could do alongside Government to show it\u2019s a real open door for these kinds of initiatives, which can then make what the Government\u2019s trying to achieve move that much faster.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said that, outside the markets Luxon and McClay mentioned, getting direct flights to India<\/a> was still a priority.<\/p>\n And capacity to Southeast Asia was still not at pre-Covid levels.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got to be in to win because everyone\u2019s gunning for it. Our competitors are places like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite that competition, the Brisbane 2032 Olympics could also generate more interest in New Zealand as a destination, she said.<\/p>\n Luxon was asked about air links yesterday.<\/p>\n He said formal negotiations had not yet started with any of the markets outlined as priorities. <\/p>\n Air connectivity was useful but not a prerequisite for making trade deals.<\/p>\n He cited the recent India free-trade deal<\/a> as an example of that.<\/p>\n \u201cMost of our Indian traffic really comes through Hong Kong or through Singapore down into New Zealand rather than direct.\u201d<\/p>\n Luxon said the Government hoped to get a direct air link with India soon.<\/p>\n Air New Zealand said it was listening to customer feedback and evaluating its network to determine the best routes.<\/p>\n At this stage, it had no plans to introduce services to Brazil or the other markets mentioned.<\/p>\n Any new routes would need \u201cstrong, sustainable demand in both directions, including inbound tourism to New Zealand\u201d.<\/p>\n Argentina and Uruguay<\/p>\n The major cities of both these South American countries are in range of widebody aircraft, but Buenos Aires, by far the biggest market, already has a direct flight to Auckland. <\/p>\n Closer to the continent\u2019s Pacific coast, Santiago in Chile already has direct flights to Auckland.<\/p>\n Bangladesh<\/p>\n The South Asian country has only a small expat population in New Zealand, estimated at 3500 in the census three years ago.<\/p>\n Its major airport is Hazrat Shahjalal International in Dhaka, well within reach of numerous widebody aircraft from New Zealand, and much closer to Auckland than Dubai is.<\/p>\n But Bangladesh had a GDP per capita of only US$2597 ($4559) last year, according to the World Bank.<\/p>\n Brazil<\/p>\n New Zealand and Brazil have growing people-to-people links, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said, and a bilateral visa waiver agreement.<\/p>\n Brazilians comprised about a third of all Latin American students and tourists in New Zealand, the ministry said.<\/p>\n The 2023 census recorded 9200 Brazilians living in New Zealand. But the Brazil Working Holiday Scheme also exists, and lets people from the country aged 18-30 live and work in New Zealand for up to one year.<\/p>\n Nigeria<\/p>\n Nigeria\u2019s financial capital, Lagos, is within range of some ultra-long-haul aircraft such as special Airbus A350 variants.<\/p>\n Lagos has an estimated population of at least 21 million but Nigeria last year had a GDP per capita of just US$1224, according to the World Bank.<\/p>\n Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland<\/p>\n The Efta nations are more prosperous than the others, but likely to be too far away for direct, commercially viable flights any time soon. <\/p>\n The airport in Switzerland\u2019s financial capital, Zurich, might conceivably be in reach of an Airbus A350-1000ULR in exceptional circumstances.<\/p>\n But it would have to manage a journey probably even longer than the Qantas Project Sunrise routes<\/a>.<\/p>\n And those routes will connect a much bigger home market in Sydney to much bigger destinations in London and New York.<\/p>\nCopacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo \/ Tercio Teixeira, AFP<\/p>\n