Air New Zealand and Air India have signed a codeshare partnership, with the two carriers signing a memorandum of understanding to explore direct flights between New Zealand and India.
The Codeshare Partnership covers 16 routes between India, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. Air New Zealand will add codes to Air India Flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai to Sydney, Melbourne and Singapore.
Air India adds codes to New Zealand-operated flights from Australian city-Singapore pairs to Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Queenstown.
The two airlines, both of which are members of the Star Alliance, are planning to launch direct flights between the two countries by the end of 2028, subject to the delivery of new aircraft and regulatory approval.
The two airlines said, “The prospects for the future will further strengthen relations between the two countries and provide more efficient and accessible travel opportunities.”
According to New Zealand tourism data, more than 80,000 tourists from India visited the country, up 23% before 2019.
Air New Zealand's Chief Greg Forlan says India is a “significant growth market” for its careers. He adds: “This codeshare agreement is an important first step and offers customers more options while working directly to understand what services look like.”
Air India Chief Campbell Wilson said: “This partnership not only strengthens our presence and simplifies our customer journey, but also helps us develop our traffic.
The codeshare agreement with Air New Zealand is the latest in a series of partnerships Air India has signed in recent weeks.
