The news that Air New Zealand will move to year-round service between Christchurch and Singapore and launch direct flights from the southern city to Bali was announced at an event in CHC last night.
NZ ceo Nikhil Ravishankar told the audience that ‘it’s another opportunity to fly directly from [CHC] rather than connecting through Auckland or Australia. That’s a choice we wanted to give our customers…’
Retail chain heads welcomed the news. “Price and convenience are important factors in our customers’ travel decisions, and a non-stop CHC–DPS service gives South Island travellers both,” says House of Travel ceo Dave Coombes, who adds that Bali sales from this market remain strong year-on-year.
Flight Centre gm Heidi Walker says the news is a huge boost for Southerners ‘who have more non-stop options than ever before’. She’s also excited about the seasonal direct flights to Tokyo and Perth planned. “Both destinations are among our top 15 most-booked cities this year, and non-stop services from [CHC] will make those trips far more convenient for South Islanders.”
1. Orbit World Travel’s Craig Jenkinson with CJ Lowe from Air NZ and Orbit CHC’s Marc Bartram. 2. First Travel Group’s John Willson with Jenny Galliven from YOU Travel Lincoln and Envoyage’s Miles Turner.
