Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran has announced that the airline will add 30,000 seats to its Tokyo route from November to March, providing Japanese customers with more options to travel to New Zealand.
The capacity increase, a result of the airline’s 777s flying more frequently to Japan, will offer 342 seats per flight, including 44 Business Premier and 54 Premium Economy seats, giving customers more opportunities to book premium cabins.
Mr Foran said the increase in capacity reflects the demand the airline is seeing and will boost economic growth in tourism for New Zealand.
“Japan is an incredibly important visitor market for the New Zealand tourism industry, so additional seats over our busiest season means more inbound travel from Japan,” he said.
“Adding the 777 to more of our Tokyo services means that there are more seats available in premium cabins and that customers may experience our newly refreshed aircraft, which includes new seat covers and updated soft products like pillows and blankets.”
The move is part of an overall increase in capacity to key destinations in Asia, with Air New Zealand adding more than 55,000 seats across Singapore, Tokyo, and Taipei between November 2024 and March 2025. The increase includes a higher proportion of premium seats, giving customers more options to travel with extra space and comfort.
Mr Foran was in Japan as part of the business delegation accompanying Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s mission.
Prime Minister Luxon said, “New Zealand and Japan have long-standing connections, particularly when it comes to our tourism sector. Pre-covid we welcomed over 100,000 visitors from Japan every year so it’s great to see air travel capacity increasing again, providing an important boost to New Zealand’s economy.”
Air New Zealand’s capacity increases for November 2024 – March 2025 include:
- Tokyo: 30,000 additional seats, the majority of which are Business Premier or Premium Economy
- Singapore: 20,000 additional seats, 11,000 of which are in Business Premier or Premium Economy
- Taipei: 7,500 additional Business Premier and Premium Economy seats
