New York to Auckland in 18 hours in hopes to boost N.Z. tourism

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 heavily impacted by the pandemic.

The carrier said Wednesday 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 the longest in service. The lengthiest currently 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 U.S. was the third largest source of foreign visitors, with 370,000 Americans spending more than NZ$1.5 billion ($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.

"The direct route to Auckland removes difficult barriers like time-consuming stopovers for travelers from the East Coast of the U.S."

American consumers have built up “significant savings during the global pandemic,” Nash added.

From Sept. 17, Air New Zealand will begin flying the Auckland-New York route three times a week with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.