Air New Zealand has expanded its Japanese operations with the launch of a new service to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport.

The flight from Auckland touched down for the first time on Friday morning and will now operate three times a week (Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays) using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

Running from July to May, the new route will complement Air New Zealand’s existing daily flights to Tokyo’s Narita Airport. The airline also operates a seasonal service between Auckland and Osaka between October and March.

Air New Zealand’s chief revenue officer, Cam Wallace, said the new service was being launched to cater for rising demand for travel between the two countries.

“Located just 20 kilometres from downtown Tokyo, Haneda Airport offers great convenience for Kiwis heading to the central city and for Japanese tourists travelling to New Zealand,” Wallace said. “With the 2019 Rugby World Cup and 2020 Summer Olympics ahead, we look forward to building on our existing services and further growing demand for travel at both ends of the route.”

The number of Kiwis travelling to Japan surged 25% in the year ending May 2017, while Japanese arrivals to New Zealand increased 8.5% during this period.