Getting to New York just got easier. Today, Air New Zealand has announced its first flight to the Big Apple will be on 17 September this year.

Landing at John F. Kennedy Airport, the airline will operate its flagship Auckland-New York route three times a week, year-round with its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. The new service further deepens the alliance between Air New Zealand and United Airlines.

Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran says with international flying on hiatus for two years and the New Zealand border reopening on 2 May to visa-waiver countries, this is the moment Kiwis have been waiting for.

“New York is an iconic yet familiar city, a bucket list item. And now for the first time, Kiwis can visit the city of all cities with a non-stop flight. New Zealand lets you slow down – in New York, everything is bigger and faster, it’s exciting and awe inspiring – and it’s now closer than ever.”

“The US has always been a key market for us, and this new route cements our commitment to developing growing tourism opportunities between the two countries. In the six years leading up to Covid, the US visitor numbers to New Zealand doubled and looking at the average spend in New Zealand by US tourists, we estimate that this new route would contribute an additional $65M per year into the local economy.

“Traditionally, flight numbers 1 and 2 are used for an airline’s flagship route. And that’s what New York will be – our flagship route.”

Departing Auckland at 7:40pm, customers will enjoy Air New Zealand’s award-winning cabin experience, and literally wake up in the city that never sleeps.

“We’ve worked incredibly hard over the last few years to make this ultra-long-haul service a reality – it’s one of the longest routes in the world, at just over 16 hours northbound and 17 and a half hours southbound. To ensure customers arrive in New York feeling refreshed, we’ve put a lot of thought into the onboard experience and teams are working around the clock to make sure this a great flying experience.”

After a stopover in New York, for customers wanting to travel further afield, Air New Zealand’s strong partnership with United Airlines can connect them on to domestic destinations across the US, Canada and the United Kingdom. For those wanting to explore more of Europe, thanks to Air New Zealand’s network of partnerships, customers can also fly direct from New York to Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna, Brussels, Helsinki, Copenhagen and Stockholm

The new service will also provide greater choice for travellers between New Zealand and North America, with Air New Zealand serving seven destinations in North America – Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angles, San Francisco, Vancouver - and soon - New York.

Tickets are now on sale at www.airnewzealand.co.nz.

Inaugural outbound flight schedule – 17 September only:

Flight schedule effective 19 September:

Flights will arrive in to and depart from Terminal 1 at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Flights are subject to government and regulatory requirements.