Air New Zealand – Air China Reauthorisation 2020

We provided the Minister advice concerning the application by Air New Zealand and Air China including a detailed analysis.

We received 5 submissions in response to the application.

Air New Zealand and Air China have lodged an application seeking reauthorisation to continue their Strategic Alliance Agreement (SAA) until March 2026. The Alliance has been in place since 1 September 2015, and is due to expire on 31 March 2021.

Under the Alliance, the two airlines coordinate their operations between and within New Zealand and China. The Alliance provides for varying levels of cooperation between the airlines on:

• ‘Alliance Sectors’ being sectors operated by either airline directly between New Zealand and China (i.e. Auckland – Shanghai and Auckland – Beijing).  Cooperation on direct services between New Zealand and China will include revenue sharing, codesharing and coordination of capacity and pricing.
• ‘Feeder Routes’ comprising domestic services within New Zealand and China which include an Alliance Sector. Cooperation on these services will include codesharing, coordination of pricing, revenue management and marketing.

Submission must be emailed by 5pm, Monday 31 August 2020.