Geoff Thomas: Aviation commentator on Air New Zealand potentially bringing back flights to London

A return to London could be on the cards for Air New Zealand.

Reportedly, the national carrier's bid to fly into Heathrow has been turned down - but it's succeeded in getting daily slots at Gatwick.

It's been five years since Air New Zealand ditched its London route after decades flying there.

Aviation commentator Geoff Thomas says the airline could look at pairing up with Virgin Australia for a Perth connection.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Heather Duplessy Allen.

Speaker 2 (00:01):
There are fresh rumors that Air New Zealand might be
eyeing up the New Zealand to London route again. Now
you remember the airline ditched the LA London connection back
in twenty twenty and replaced it with the Auckland to
New York flight. But there are now reports that the
airline has been asking for a slot of Heathrow and
hasn't got it. Aviation analyst Jeff Thomas has with me.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
Hey, Jeff, greetings, how are you very well? Thank you?

Speaker 2 (00:23):
These roomors have been going on for a while a
do you believe them?

Speaker 1 (00:26):
Look absolutely, And in fact they have been granted slotted
Gatwick Airport, which, as listeners probably know, is the other
major airport in the London area to the south of
London rather than to the west of London. And they've
been granted a daily slot from I think about June
next year. So yes, they've got the ability to relaunch

(00:48):
London services. But the question is which way do they go?
Do they go via America or do they go possibly
via Perth and Western Australia.

Speaker 2 (00:59):
Which is the smart way? Do you think?

Speaker 1 (01:01):
Well, it's interesting, it's a good question. The American Connection,
and of course that I should also include Vancouver. Here
the American connection has problems because you have to when
you arrive, you've got to go through customs and immigration
as though you're entering America. Then you've got to go
through security to go back onto the aeroplane again, and

(01:23):
it's a very convoluted pain in the neck process which
passengers don't like at all and also holds up the
aircraft and it causes all sorts of strife. Via Perth
is a very interesting dynamic because in New Zealand has
just entered into a new joint venture or a new

(01:44):
alliance with Virgin Australia, and Virgin Australia is already stretching
its wings with a deal with Katar to fly from Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney,
Perth to Doha using Qatar Airways, aircraft crews and whatnot.
It's called a wet lease. Now, what could possibly happen

(02:07):
is you could have an Auckland Perth Perth London service
and the Perth London part of that would be a
joint venture with Virgin Australia tapping into all of virgins.

Speaker 2 (02:18):
Noxt hold on, are we sitting on a Virgin plane.

Speaker 1 (02:22):
No, you were sitting on an A New Zealand plank.

Speaker 2 (02:25):
Are we sitting on a Virgin plane for any of this?

Speaker 1 (02:28):
No? Well you're talking about a Virgin ye A Virgin
seven three seven is not what Virgin used to run
prior to COVID. They used to have Boeing Triple sevens
and they were about the most luxurious Boeing Triple sevens around.
So they know how to do international really really well.
Not that Air New Zealand doesn't, because they do it
really really well as well. But no, it would be

(02:48):
it would be an Air New Zealand flight, but it
would be a code share with Virgin, therefore pulling in
traffic from Perth and Adelaide and other places around Western Australia.

Speaker 2 (02:59):
But does this the fact that that apparently in New
Zealand is still trying to get into Heathrow, does this
suggest to you that they are actually regretting pulling out.

Speaker 1 (03:08):
Well, it's a good question. At the time, they needed
the money, the London Service was giving them grief. I
knew that because they were. They actually canceled quite some
time before COVID and then they let it run out.
It was causing them trouble. They did have the wrong
aeroplane for it was probably too big. So with the

(03:32):
seven eight seven it's more economical they can and it's
smaller so therefore you haven't got as many seats to fill.
So are there are equipment issues here? Yeah? And also
I think a routing via Perth, Australia would eliminate the
US problem, which also was an irritation for passengers.

Speaker 2 (03:54):
Yeah, okay, that might work, Jiff, thanks for talking us
through it to appreciate it. Jeff Thomas, Aviation analyst Zeeland, by
the way, is not confirming anything, but they're also not
denying anything. They just say it's not uncommon for airlines
to apply for slots and new airports as part of
this network review process. And if I was being cynical,
which i am, I would say that, yeah, it's all true.

(04:14):
They're not denying it.

Speaker 1 (04:16):
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