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Bloomberg
Air New Zealand has announced plans to fly directly to New York — one of the longest routes in the world — as the country begins to rebuild a tourism industry that’s been decimated by the pandemic.
The carrier said it will begin direct flights from Auckland to John F Kennedy Airport in September. At just over 16 hours northbound and 17 hours 35 minutes southbound, the trip is set to be among longest in service. The lengthiest clocks it at around 18 hours 40 minutes between Singapore and New York.
With the border due to re-open to most nations from May 2, the government is billing the ultra long-haul flight as a shot
in the arm for the tourism industry, which was once New Zealand’s biggest export earner. Before the border was shut two years ago, the US was the third largest source of foreign visitors, with 370,000 Americans spending more than $1.05 billion while on vacation in the South Pacific nation in 2019. “Americans consider this country an appealing destination and those who have visited in the past rate their experience incredibly highly,†said Tourism Minister Stuart Nash.