Chinese carrier Sichuan Airlines is set to return to New Zealand. The airline has confirmed its intentions to resume non-stop flights between Chengdu and Auckland from December, offering a year-round service. The new service is set to commence from December 7 on board the carrier’s modern Airbus A350-900 aircraft.
Sichuan Airlines had previously operated the service to New Zealand and shelved it earlier this year in April. At the time, it flew the link once per week, departing Chengdu on Sundays and returning from Auckland on Mondays.
Injecting Millions Into The New Zealand Economy
Taking off from December 7, the resumed service will operate twice weekly using the airline’s A350-900, and is forecasted to bring more than 22,000 passengers to New Zealand yearly. The route is expected to bring in around $75 (NZ$130) million in annual tourism spending, and an additional $87 (NZ$150) million in cargo capacity, supporting New Zealand cargo imports and exports.
China remains one of New Zealand’s largest international markets, with billions of dollars being injected into the country’s economy. The resumption of this route has been celebrated as a win for both tourism and economic growth, with New Zealand Tourism and Hospitality Minister, Louise Upston, explaining the benefits to a New Zealand media outlet, Radio New Zealand:
“This new service will strengthen airline connectivity for both tourism and business between New Zealand and China,” she said. “Improved aviation connectivity is an important part of our tourism growth roadmap.”
Twice Weekly To Auckland
Resuming after a seven-month suspension, Sichuan Airlines will relaunch this December with two weekly flights, departing Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU) on Thursdays and Sundays at 01:30 in the morning under flight number 3U 3811. The southbound flight has a block time of 12 hours, 10 minutes, with a scheduled arrival time into Auckland International Airport (AKL) at 18:40.
Return flights will push back from 
Scott Tasker, Chief Customer Officer at Auckland Airport, noted that the resumption of flights between Chengdu and Auckland will make it easier for travelers to explore the Chinese province of Sichuan and beyond, with the carrier operating 76 domestic and 28 international destinations from its home at Chengdu Tianfu.
Flights Between China And New Zealand
With Sichuan Airlines heading back to New Zealand, will mark more than 50 weekly flights between six carriers operating from China to New Zealand. Already, hometown airline Air New Zealand provides direct links from Auckland to Shanghai, China Eastern to Hangzhou and Shanghai Pudong (services continue via Sydney and eventually onto Buenos Aires Ezeiza), China Southern to Guangzhou, and Hainan Airlines to Changqing, Haikou, and Shenzhen. Other flights also operate to the Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China (Hong Kong) – with Cathay Pacific and Air New Zealand both operating the route.
China Eastern’s Argentina flight is about to become the world’s longest direct flight, operating between Shanghai and Buenos Aires, via Auckland. The service, from China to Argentina, will take a total of 29 hours gate-to-gate; however, it does experience a two-hour layover in Auckland for refueling. The service will be operated as a fifth freedom flight, meaning travelers can join the service in Auckland and travel onwards to Argentina without the need to travel to China.
Direct flights to China also operate to the South Islands, Christchurch Airport across the Southern Hemisphere summer season, with China Southern operating non-stop flights from Guangzhou onboard its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. Direct flights to China could also one day take off from the country’s capital, Wellington (WLG), after the airport this week signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport to explore the opportunities of direct flights between the two airports.