Air Canada and Air New Zealand trans-Pacific rivalry intensifies

Travel between United States and Canada is expected to become much cheaper now. Media reports recently said that Air New Zealand and Air Canada are currently engaged in bitter rivalry which could lead to cheaper airfares for travel between the two countries.

Air New Zealand is now facing growing competition on trans-Pacific routes. The airline’s rival Air Canada recently announced it will be launching nonstop flights to Brisbane from Vancouver. The move of Air Canada has put Air New Zealand in a quandary and threatens to significantly impact its Auckland-Vancouver service in a major way.

Calin Rovinescu, Chief Executive of Air Canada, said, “The airline is going to launch nonstop flights between Brisbane and Vancouver next year. The route will be served with the help of Boeing 787-8 aircrafts effective from June 17, 2016. The nonstop flights would be initially operated thrice weekly, but would later on become a daily service.”

Both Air New Zealand and Air Canada are Star Alliance partners. Air New Zealand is currently offering nonstop flights between Vancouver and Auckland. The route is being served with Boeing 777 aircrafts with five times weekly services.

Travel experts have said that the launch of new service by Air Canada is going to hurt the commercial interests of Air New Zealand. In the United States, Air New Zealand operates direct flights services to both Los Angeles and San Francisco from Auckland.

Travel experts also said that Air New Zealand’s Vancouver service would also continue to be an attractive option for Canadians travelling to Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne from Vancouver as the airline offers easier connections than from Sydney or Brisbane.