Air New Zealand is launching a new non-stop service between Auckland and Taipei on November 1, 2018 that will remove the need to make a stopover in Hong Kong in order to connect to flights operated by partner carriers.
Currently, Air New Zealand doesn’t fly its own metal to Taipei and the most efficient route for Air New Zealand passengers is to fly to Hong Kong and connect onto an onward flight to Taipei operated by Oneworld carrier Cathay Pacific.
The new non-stop flights, which will run five times a week, will take just over 11 hours compared with the 14+ hours currently required with the Hong Kong stopover.
“Air New Zealand’s new service is significantly quicker and more convenient than current indirect options,” said Christopher Luxon, CEO of Air New Zealand.
“New Zealand already welcomes around 36,000 visitors a year from the Taiwan market and we’re confident a direct link will grow numbers further.”
The airline will be flying its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft on the route. Back in October last year, Air New Zealand took delivery of the first of its four new-layout B787-9s, which feature more business class and premium economy seating and fewer economy seats than its older variants.
Flights depart Auckland in the morning and arrive in Taipei in the late afternoon, with the return flights departing in the evening and arriving back in Auckland the following morning.
| Flight No. | From | To | Departs | Arrives |
| NZ77 | Auckland (AKL) | Taipei (TPE) | 1035 | 1650 |
| NZ78 | Taipei (TPE) | Auckland (AKL) | 1830 | 1020+1 |
Tickets are already available for sale, with fares starting at NZ$2,433/US$1778 for business class, NZ$1,433/US$1047 for premium economy and NZ$758/US$554 for economy.
