Air New Zealand will pause its Auckland to Chicago non-stop service from 31 March to 25 October 2024.
The route is being put on hold due to ongoing challenges with the availability of serviceable Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, which is impacting airlines around the world. These are the engines used on Air New Zealand's Boeing 787 aircraft.
Air New Zealand Chief Customer and Sales Officer Leanne Geraghty said it was a difficult decision to make, but one that results in the least number of customers impacted.
"We know this will be disappointing for customers travelling to and from Chicago during this period, especially to those travelling over the upcoming April holiday break. It's not a decision we've made lightly, and we're sorry to make this change so close to the time some customers plan to fly," said Geraghty.
"Unfortunately, Air New Zealand continues to be impacted by challenges with availability of Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, meaning we will now have up to three aircraft unavailable for an extended period, so we've had to review our schedule."
Geraghty said the company made the tough decision to temporarily pause the Chicago route while maintaining its schedule of up to 35 flights each week to six ports across the U.S. and Canada.
Customers with bookings on Air New Zealand's Chicago services will be rebooked with a connection through another U.S. airport to get them to their destination as quickly as possible. Customers who booked directly with Air New Zealand will receive their new itinerary within 72 hours and do not need to contact Air New Zealand. Those who booked via a travel agent should contact their agent to confirm changes to their itinerary.
Customers have been offered the option of a full refund or to place their booking into credit.
"Getting our customers to their destination safely is our number one priority and to do that, we need to ensure our aircraft and engines are maintained to the highest standard. These challenges do not present a safety risk to customers flying on our 787 fleet," added Geraghty.
"We'd like to thank customers in advance for their patience and understanding as our teams work as fast as they can to make these changes."
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