Last month, Air Canada launched flights between Vancouver (YVR) and Auckland (AKL), with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft serving the route. The flights operate four times weekly through March 2020.

Flights depart Vancouver Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 11:45 p.m, arriving in Auckland at 11:05 a.m., two days later. Flights depart Auckland at 2:30 p.m., Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, and arrive in Vancouver at 6:30 a.m. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft offers 20 Signature Class lie-flat seats, 21 premium-economy seats and 214 economy-class seats.

“We are excited to launch our newest South Pacific route to Auckland which offers additional opportunities for North Americans traveling to enjoy New Zealand’s summer season, and for New Zealanders traveling for a Canadian winter vacation. Our Auckland flights are timed to conveniently connect at our extensive Vancouver trans-Pacific hub to and from a multitude of non-stop destinations throughout North America including New York [and] Newark,” said Mark Galardo, vice president, network planning, Air Canada.

“We’re proud of the contribution this new service will make to growing travel and trade between the two countries. The seamless connections Air Canada provides through its hub in Vancouver will further promote a growing market. In 2018 alone, Canadians choosing to holiday in New Zealand grew by 6.7 percent to 70,000 visitors. Similarly, New Zealand visitor numbers grew by an impressive 12 percent with 34,000 people visiting Canada during the same period,” added Scott Tasker, general manager, aeronautical commercial, Auckland Airport.