Following the New Zealand Government’s announcement that the country will move to the red traffic light at midnight tonight, the airline will continue to keep the country connected.

Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran says like all businesses, Air New Zealand is preparing for the impact Omicron will have on its customers and employees.

“Our priority has always been and continues to be, keeping our employees, customers and New Zealand safe. The great news is, you can continue to fly during the red setting and there are no regional borders in place. However, we do expect to see some impact on our operation.”

“As a result of one of our employees testing positive for Omicron, subsequently, around 15 aircrews have been stood down as close contacts. They are well and are testing and isolating in accordance with Ministry of Health guidelines.”

“What this does mean is that while we will continue to do all we can to keep Aotearoa connected, we expect to see some schedule changes and cancellations over the coming weeks due to Covid”.

“To our customers, thank you for standing by us and please be patient with us as we work to keep you moving, while first and foremost, ensuring everyone’s safety and wellbeing.”

Air New Zealand has significant precautions in place for crew set out by the Ministry of Health and the airline’s medical team including wearing PPE and regular surveillance testing.

All Air New Zealand operating aircrew and customer-facing employees are fully vaccinated. All customers over the age of 12 travelling with Air New Zealand domestically need to show either proof of vaccination or proof of a recent negative test result and vaccination requirement for all international passengers comes into effect from 1 February.

As an added precaution, Air New Zealand paused inflight food and beverage service from 1 January 2022 to enable customers to keep their masks on for the duration of domestic flights.

Air New Zealand is advising customers to save time at the airport by checking in online using the AirNZ app and uploading their vaccine pass to their Airpoints profile.

Air New Zealand lounges will be open as usual, however social distancing practices are in place. Face coverings continue to be required when not eating and drinking.

Customers are reminded to stay home and not to fly if they feel sick, are experiencing Covid-19 symptoms, are awaiting test results, or have been asked to isolate.