Media Release | 23 February 2012

Auckland Airport looks forward to new Sunshine Coast service

Auckland Airport today welcomed the announcement of a new trial Air New Zealand twice-weekly seasonal service between Auckland and Sunshine Coast Airport from 1st July 2012. This will be the first international service ever into the Sunshine Coast.

Auckland Airport general manager aeronautical commercial, Glenn Wedlock, was delighted about the announcement. “We believe this new seasonal Sunshine Coast service opens up many opportunities for both inbound and outbound travel. It’s a fast growing part of Australia with a demographic that has a propensity to travel, and with a lot of great leisure attractions for kiwis. We’re pleased to be working with Air New Zealand on this great new initiative.”

The new trial service will be operated by A320s on a Tuesday and Sunday for the seasonal peak between July and September and follows a lot of work behind the scenes between Air New Zealand, Auckland Airport, and Sunshine Coast Airport.

“The Sunshine Coast is an extremely popular leisure destination, and this service offers a convenient option for a mid-winter break”, said Mr Wedlock.

“With just a short trans-Tasman flight between the two destinations, and with world-class passenger processing including Smart Gate, we are confident that there will be plenty of demand and that the service will become a permanent feature in the ever growing choice of travel destinations offered out of Auckland.”

The Sunshine Coast has many diverse features and ranges from beaches to hinterlands to rainforests. It includes the popular towns of Caloundra, Mooloolaba and Noosa, plus attractions like Australia Zoo, Underwater World and Aussie World.

“Having this first direct service to the Sunshine Coast offers more accessibility from New Zealand and from the broader Air New Zealand network, and it means that our tourism industry can target this new catchment area. It’s another way that we can help develop and grow the Australian visitor market, which is so important to New Zealand”, said Mr Wedlock.

ENDS

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