Is Air New Zealand returning to the UK?
November 19, 2024
Air New Zealand is working to reintroduce flights between Auckland and London but faces challenges securing a landing slot at London Heathrow, according to reports.
The airline has applied for daily slots but has yet to gain approval due to Heathrow’s intense demand and limited capacity. The carrier is said to have received slots at Gatwick Airport for a daily service starting in July 2025.
If approved, the route would span 11,405 miles (18,354 km), making it one of the world’s longest non-stop flights.
After nearly four decades of service, Air New Zealand announced in 2019 that it was discontinuing its iconic London to Auckland route via Los Angeles, marking the end of its direct European connection.
The airline first launched the route in 1982, initially operating via Gatwick with stops in Los Angeles and Tahiti before later transitioning to a non-stop US-New Zealand sector and moving to Heathrow in 1994.
