Air New Zealand launches Singapore-Christchurch seasonal service
Seasonal service from the 2020 Airline Of The Year will operate five times a week until Feb 22
To be on top of the game is one thing.
To remain there? That's a whole new ball game.
But Air New Zealand is always up for a challenge and was named 2020 Airline Of The Year last month, after losing the 2019 title to Singapore Airlines.
Having reclaimed the biggest honour in AirlineRatings.com's Airline Excellence Awards for the sixth time, the flag carrier has also launched a new seasonal service from Singapore to Christchurch from Dec 1.
Ms Jenni Martin, Air New Zealand's head of South and South-east Asia, said: "Singapore is among the top countries for visitor arrivals to New Zealand, and we expect the numbers to rise further, with a 5.7 per cent year-on-year increase.
"We are seeing great demand, so we have substantially increased our presence and seamless connectivity to New Zealand in the past few years."
FIVE TIMES A WEEK
The Singapore-Christchurch service will operate five times a week (excluding Mondays and Wednesdays) on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner until Feb 22.
An award-winning feature is the Economy Skycouch, a row of three seats that can be converted into a flat surface. Its versatility is useful for families with kids or passengers who want to enjoy more space and comfort.
If you are looking for an even better time in the skies, opt for the Business Premier class. It will provide the ultimate luxurious and comfortable experience as you get to relax on a soft leather lie-flat bed, which has a special ottoman footrest that doubles as guest seating.
The seat can also be flipped to transform into a horizontal bed surface with a separate memory foam mattress, two full-size pillows and a duvet.
Priding itself on creating a sustainable environment through increasingly focused sustainability initiatives, the 787-9 Dreamliner, which operates most of Air New Zealand's Asia services, has 20 per cent more fuel efficiency compared to similar-sized aircraft.
Nearly 55 million single-use plastic items were also removed or replaced with environmentally friendly alternatives by October.
Another ongoing solution to reduce waste are its edible coffee cups.
The airline partnered with New Zealand-based company twiice to trial these vanilla-flavoured and leakproof containers, which can hold hot drinks and then be eaten as a post-coffee snack.
Although more than eight million cups of coffee are currently served each year using compostable plant-based cups, the goal is to remove them entirely from landfills.
It is no wonder then that earlier this year, Air New Zealand was crowned Air Transport World's Eco-Airline Of The Year at the Air Transport World Airline Awards.
Ms Martin said: "We will focus on continuing to innovate in terms of products and in the sustainability space so customers can have a taste of New Zealand while onboard."
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
