Updates 2016

6 Jan
Korean Airlines became the first airline to operated the B747-8i into Auckland Airport. KE129 operated by HL7633 had the honours of being the first B747-8 to land at Auckland.

22 Jan
Air New Zealand suspends Vanuatu, flights due to concerns about the condition of of the runway at Port Vila International Airport.

25 Jan
Air New Zealand's new non-stop route Auckland - Vietnam goes on sale with a special offer of $599 one way. Flights from Auckland to Ho Chi Minh City commence on the 4th Jun 2016.

5 Feb
Air New Zealand announce they will invest more then $25 million into a partnership with aircraft manufacturer ATR to equip its 68-seat turboprop fleet with the advance Required Navigational Performance (RNP AR) technology.

8 Feb
Eagles Airways ends service at Auckland Airport with the last flights to Rotorua, Hamilton, Taupo and Tauranga.

25 Feb
Air New Zealand announces a Net Profit of $338 million dollars for the first 6 month of the 2016 financial year. An increase of 154 percent. Before taxation earnings were $457 million. A dividend of 10.0 cents per share will be paid and is a increase of 54 percent for the same period.

1 Mar
Gianjet's VVIP B757-200, SX-RFA arrived into Auckland non-stop from Bali, with Singer, Madonna on-board, as she will performing a concert this weekend in Auckland.

2 Mar
Emirates inaugural non-stop flight, EK448 from Dubai - Auckland touches down in Auckland at 10:33am. As a one off, for the first flight, it was operated by an A380, A6-EON.

3 Mar
Air New Zealand announces they will resume Auckland - Osaka flights again starting in November 2016 and operating until March 2017. The flights will operate three days a week, Wednesdays, Fridays & Sundays.

10 Mar
Qatar Airways announce Doha - Auckland as a new route to their network. The flight will become the longest flight in the world at 7,848 NM. Flights are due to start in December 2016 using the
B777-200LR.

23 Mar
Air Asia X first flight lands in Auckland seeing a return to New Zealand operations. Air Asia X will be using their A330-200's from Kuala Lumpur to Auckland via the Gold Coast.
9M-XBC operated the first flight D7 206 touching down at about 16:10.

24 Mar
Air New Zealand announce that the Auckland - Houston - Auckland route will move to daily flights for the peak summer season from December 5th 2016 until February 5th 2017.

1 Apr
Air New Zealand operate their first B777-200ER scheduled flight to Tonga, TBU. This also saw the first time ever a B777 has landed in Tonga, making it the largest aircraft ever to visit the Island Nation.

6 Apr
Air New Zealand announces Manila, in the Philippines as new destination adding to it's Pacific Rim network. Flights are due to commence in December 2016 and will operate all year round three times a week using the B767-300ER. Flight time is expected to be around 10 and a half hours.

8 May
Air New Zealand retires B767-300ER, ZK-NCK from service with the airline, operating its last revenue flights operating AKL-NAN-AKL. ZK-NCK was delivered to Air NZ in May 1997 and has completed 19 years service.

10 May
Air New Zealand's newest A320, ZK-OXL arrives into Auckland from Airbus in Toulouse after its delivery flight. With the arrival of ZK-OXL, it brings the Air NZ's fleet count of A320's to 29.

16 May
Air New Zealand's 29th A320, ZK-OXL enters service operating NZ677 from Auckland - Dunedin.

23 May
Air New Zealand operates it's First Commercial Night Time service into Queenstown, NZ613 from Auckland landed at 7:20pm.

03 Jun
Air New Zealand's B777-200ER ZK-OKA arrives back into AKL as NZ6004 from FTW after a repaint into the new livery.

4 Jun
Air New Zealand's inaugral Auckland - Saigon (Vietnam) flight NZ269 departs operated by B767-300, ZK-NCL with 215 passengers.

15 Jun
Air New Zealand operates it's first B787-9 to Tonga as a one off flight. Flight NZ270 was operated by ZK-NZD with 303 passengers on board.

United States Navy P-8A Poseidon 168437, which is visiting Auckland operates demonstration flight departing Auckland at 1300.

25 Jun
American Airlines inaugural flight from Los Angeles, Flight AA83 arrived into Auckland operated by N814AA. American will operate daily flights from Los Angeles - Auckland - Los Angeles using the B787-8. American Airlines last operated to New Zealand back in 1989.

3 Jul
United Airlines start flying to Auckland again with their inaugural flight from San Francisco UA917 touching down in Auckland at 0641 operated by their B787-8, N27908. United Airlines will operate 3 days a week, Tuesday, Friday and Sunday's until October when they will go to daily flights using the B787-9

27 Oct
Cathay Pacific operated their last A340-300 flight into Auckland, B-HXG wearing the One World Livery had the honours of being the last CX A340 in Auckland.