Air New Zealand considering resuming Chicago, Seoul and London services: CCO
Air New Zealand CCO Jeremy O'Brien, speaking at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Australia Pacific, stated (31-Jul-2025) the airline is considering potentially resuming services to Chicago, Seoul and London. Regarding Chicago and Seoul, Mr O'Brien said the airline will be "mindful" in considering "the best return on capital" compared to other opportunities in the market. He commented: "We don't enter markets lightly". He noted that new, more efficient aircraft have changed the dynamics for the London route, which is a "significant opportunity for capacity to grow on whatever stopover we take out of Auckland". Mr O'Brien said London is "a market that's worth reappraising for us", and is "definitely a high priority for us".
Background ✨
Air New Zealand suspended its Auckland-Chicago and Auckland-Seoul services due to ongoing engine availability challenges, with Chicago's resumption expected in 2H2025 and Seoul's future dependent on aircraft and engine availability reviews1 2. The airline also previously confirmed it was exploring options to resume London services, citing the strong connection with New Zealand and ongoing network reviews based on customer feedback3.