Mumbai, India: New Zealand’s Premier Christopher Luxon, currently on an official visit to India, has made significant strides in improving aviation connectivity between the two nations. Beginning his trip on March 17, 2025, Luxon attended a landmark event where Air India and Air New Zealand signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on March 19, 2025, in Mumbai. This agreement aims to enhance trade and tourism linkages by establishing a new codeshare partnership covering 16 routes between India, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand.
The MoU enables passengers from major Indian cities—Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai—to connect effortlessly to Air New Zealand's operated flights to destinations such as Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, and Queenstown via transit points in Sydney, Melbourne, or Singapore. This move is anticipated to simplify travel logistics and bolster each country as a viable tourist destination.
In a bid to further develop air travel between India and New Zealand, both airlines have committed to exploring the possibility of launching a direct service by the end of 2028. Given the distance of approximately 7,800 miles (12,550 kilometers) between New Delhi and Wellington, a long-range aircraft, likely the Airbus A350-1000, will be crucial for this new route.
Air New Zealand Chief Executive Greg Foran touted India as a pivotal growth market and expressed enthusiasm for the codeshare agreement. “This codeshare agreement is an important first step, offering more options for customers while we work to understand what a direct service could look like,” he stated during the signing ceremony.
Echoing this sentiment, Campbell Wilson, Managing Director & CEO of Air India, pointed out that the partnership simplifies customer journeys and reflects Air India's strategy of expanding its global network. “This partnership will not only strengthen our presence and simplify customer journeys, but also help us develop traffic so that, in time to come, we may viably operate a non-stop service between India and New Zealand, which we and Air New Zealand have committed to explore together with the respective authorities,” Wilson stated, highlighting their mutual commitment to increasing traffic and developing this vital connection.
The collaboration comes at a time when the Indian aviation market is rapidly expanding, with an increase in outbound travel projected at around 8% per year. Research shows that approximately 18 million people from major Indian cities are considering traveling to New Zealand. Moreover, the past year saw over 80,000 international travellers from India visiting New Zealand, reflecting a 23% increase compared to pre-pandemic figures from 2019.
Tourism New Zealand has shown a strong interest in capitalizing on this growth, and Prime Minister Luxon's visit coincided with further commitments to enhance tourism strategies through joint marketing campaigns. The recent MoU also involves partnerships with numerous Indian travel firms to promote off-season travel, shedding light on the developing relationship between New Zealand and India's tourism sectors.
This ramped-up effort includes an exclusive winter campaign to inspire Indian travellers to visit New Zealand during the traditionally less busy months. This effort includes a funding commitment towards seasonal marketing from the sides of Auckland Airport and Air New Zealand.
Luxon remarked on how cricket has traditionally brought both nations together, but he emphasizes that there are numerous other sectors for collaboration, such as technology and hospitality, which have immense growth potential. A standout example is the recent partnership between New Zealand’s STAAH, a hospitality technology firm, and The Clarks Hotels & Resorts in New Delhi. This exhibit of mutual interest shows a willingness to deepen economic ties and create diverse avenues for cooperation.
The aviation partnership marks a turning point in transport relations between India and New Zealand, promising greater accessibility and simplified travel routes for passengers heading to each country.
In conclusion, this partnership signals an important step towards more robust economic interaction between the two nations as they work together on common goals to foster trade, tourism, and connectivity. With a potential direct flight brewing on the horizon, Air India and Air New Zealand are set to lay the groundwork for a stronger aviation bridge that would ultimately serve both the nations and their growing traveler demographics.
