Air New Zealand and Qantas have revealed plans for a reciprocal codeshare agreement that leverages the strengths of each carrier’s domestic networks that could impact cargo ground handling and airfreight activity.
Under the codeshare, Qantas intends to add its code on up to 30 routes on Air New Zealand’s domestic network and Air New Zealand intends to add its code on up to 85 routes on Qantas’ domestic network.
Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said the two national carriers had a lot of shared history as well as a shared goal of making travel easier. Joyce says: “Our relationship with Air New Zealand goes back almost 80 years. We’ve been partners at various stages over that time and we have a lot of respect for them as a competitor.”
Air New Zealand CEO Christopher Luxon said the codeshare will see two of the world’s best airlines offer their customers a full service experience when they make domestic connections within New Zealand or Australia. Luxon says: While the two airlines will continue to compete very strongly across all markets, Air New Zealand and Qantas are known for having a commitment to innovation, customer service excellence, operational performance and safety.
The two CEOs note that over time there was potential for them to explore areas of mutual interest, including research into biofuels, freight and ground-handling opportunities.
