SATC: South Australia welcomes the Air New Zealand Dreamliner
26-Oct-2017 Minister for Tourism Leon Bignell today welcomed South Australia's first scheduled Dreamliner service - adding to the State's list of recent aviation successes.
Air New Zealand's Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flight will operate three times per week between Auckland and Adelaide, opening new opportunities for business and tourism.
The addition of the Dreamliner flights to the recent introduction of new international carriers has seen South Australia's international seat numbers increase by 67 per cent, since April 2011.
To celebrate the important aviation milestone passengers were invited to sample some of South Australia's top wine vintages throughout a one-off Cellar Door Flight experience.
Passengers on the inaugural flight were provided with some of our most famous wines, including the newly released 2013 Penfolds Grange, and a selection of matched South Australian cheeses, at 35,000 feet.
Background
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner has capacity for 302 passengers, compared to 168 on the Airbus A320, and offers Business Premier and Premium Economy, which are not currently available on the Auckland to Adelaide A320 service.
Air New Zealand operates between four and six flights per week between Auckland and Adelaide. The Dreamliner will now be used for three of these flights, adding approximately 400 seats per week, an increase of 25 per cent.
The first Dreamliner flight is scheduled to arrive in Adelaide at 10:40am on 26 October. The Dreamliner will operate throughout the peak season, up to March 2018.
The concept of the Cellar Door Flight was developed after research showed a high demand for premium food and wine experiences in South Australia, but low awareness of non-stop flights between Auckland and Adelaide, and the relatively short travel time.
Quotes attributable to Tourism Minister Leon Bignell
The State Government is committed to working with international and Australian airlines to increase visitation to South Australia, investing an additional $70 million in tourism funding to help maintain our position as a must-see destination.
We want to see more next-generation aircraft and direct, long haul flights coming to Adelaide, creating new opportunities for our economy and growing jobs.
The addition of the Air New Zealand Dreamliner is a huge win for South Australia and we hope it becomes a regular sight at Adelaide Airport.
New Zealand is one of the South Australia's top five tourism markets, contributing $53 million to our record $6.3 billion visitor economy.
It's fantastic to have Penfolds on board with us today for the first inaugural Dreamliner flight to Adelaide, to help to show New Zealand all that South Australia has to offer.
Quotes attributable to Air New Zealand Chief Revenue Officer Cam Wallace
Today's inaugural service between Auckland and Adelaide is another milestone for this remarkable aircraft.
Our Boeing 787-9 fleet has proven to be popular with customers with our distinctive inflight products and features such as lower cabin altitude, higher humidity and larger windows which all contribute to a feeling of spaciousness and wellbeing.
Deploying the aircraft on this route allows us to enhance the inflight experience for customers travelling between New Zealand and South Australia.
Quotes attributable to Adelaide Airport Ltd Managing Director Mark Young
It's exciting to welcome the Boeing 787 Dreamliner - one of the most state-of-the-art passenger jets - to Adelaide for its inaugural service.
The introduction of the Dreamliner increases capacity, and offers Business and Premium Economy on this important route that also links with the US west coast.
The Dreamliner offers the first wide body cargo capacity between the two cities to facilitate exports directly across the Tasman. It follows similar recent upgauging of aircraft by other international airlines flying to Adelaide from other ports.