Summary
- Air Recent Zealand will lease aircraft from Wamos Air to cover fleet insufficiencies brought on by ongoing Pratt & Whitney engine issues.
- Wamos Air will operate every day flights between Auckland and Perth using their A330 widebody aircraft.
- P Refunds or credits can be found for passengers who select to not travel through the two-month period.
Air Recent Zealand announced that it should return to a brief lease agreement with Spanish Charter airline Wamos Air to help with its operations between Perth and Auckland. It comes because the Recent Zealand flag carrier has been plagued with the continued Pratt & Whitney engine issues affecting Airbus A320neo family aircraft.
In alignment with the engine manufacturer’s recall of the geared turbofan (GTF) engines earlier this yr, the planes might be taken out of service in the approaching months to undergo maintenance checks. Air Recent Zealand will allow Wamos to operate a widebody A330 to cover its fleet insufficiencies.
From February 9 to April 30, 2024, Wamos will operate flights between Auckland Airport (AKL) and Perth Airport (PER) on the A330-200. Air Recent Zealand confirmed the move in a press release, crediting Wamos for ensuring increased flexibility.
“As Air Recent Zealand prepares a few of its fleet to undergo maintenance next yr because of global engine maintenance issues, which several airlines all over the world are facing, the airline might be re-entering a brief lease agreement with Wamos Air to assist get customers to where they must be. Enlisting the assistance of Wamos Air will make sure that there’s extra flexibility within the operation because of the additional maintenance requirements and for any unexpected challenges or other disruptions beyond the airline’s control. That is a brief, proactive measure to assist protect our customers’ travel plans.”
What to anticipate
The flights will occur every day, offering an onboard product comprised of business and economy class:
Flight Number |
From |
To |
Equipment |
Seat Configuration |
Cabins Available |
Travel Period |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NZ173 |
AKL |
PER |
A330-200 |
Y – 260 C – 20 |
Business Premier & Economy (theworks) |
February 9 to April 30, 2024 |
NZ174 |
PER |
AKL |
A330-200 |
Y – 260 C – 20 |
Business Premier & Economy (theworks) |
February 9 to April 30, 2024 |
Photo: Thiago B Trevisan | Shutterstock
Wamos’ A330-200 accommodates 280 passengers, featuring 20 lie-flat business seats and 260 seats in economy. Unlike Air Recent Zealand’s planes, the aircraft doesn’t have a premium economy cabin. As a substitute, the airline said that loyalty customers with Recognition Upgrades can use them to use for a direct upgrade from economy to business class, with one upgrade per one-way flight. Passengers already booked in premium economy might be compensated the fare difference plus an extra $150 paid within the currency of the unique ticket.
Other onboard offerings to expect include:
- Travelers will accrue Airpoints Dollars and Status Points based on the unique fare paid for the flight
- The unique checked baggage allowance will apply
- The Economy Skycouch won’t be available, and passengers will receive a refund
- All cabins, whatever the fare type booked, might be supplied with full meal service, including beverages
- The Inflght Bites menu normally available for purchase won’t be offered
Air Recent Zealand’s customer support agents will proceed to examine in passengers on the airport and gate for the flight. Passengers even have the power to request a full refund or convert their airfare into credit in the event that they now not want to travel through the two-month period.
Ongoing GTF engine complications
The airline operates 17 A320neo family jets in its fleet of 108 aircraft. Pratt & Whitney disclosed issues with its GTF engines in July, requiring quite a few engines to be inspected over the subsequent three years. The foremost effect on global aviation will likely be felt in the approaching yr.
Photo: Airbus
Air Recent Zealand said in a press release.
The airline began partnering with Wamos under a wet lease agreement in October 2022 to help with capability restraints following the pandemic. It concluded on October 29 of this yr.