Hon Nathan Guy
Associate Minister of Transport
Expanded NZ–South Africa air services

Expanded opportunities for New Zealand and South African airlines were announced today by Associate Minister of Transport Nathan Guy.

“The new arrangements will provide a real boost for business, tourism and people-to-people links,” says Mr Guy.

“This will allow the airlines of each country to pick up and drop off passengers and freight in Australia, and to operate daily flights between our two countries – up from three flights per week.”

The ban on New Zealand airlines uplifting passengers in Australia for South Africa, and vice versa, has now been lifted. This ban had also applied to code-share services. This had made the route uneconomic for New Zealand and South African airlines.

“As well as the great sporting ties between our two nations, there is a growing South African population in New Zealand that wish to maintain contact with family and friends back in South Africa,” says Mr Guy.

“Over the past five years there has been a 40 percent increase in the number of South Africans arriving in New Zealand, while New Zealanders travelling to South Africa have also increased by 40 percent.”

New Zealanders are also increasingly using South Africa for a stopover between New Zealand and Europe.

The new arrangements with South Africa were negotiated in June 2008 and also update aspects of the New Zealand-South Africa Air Services Agreement negotiated in 1997.

ENDS

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