Air New Zealand announced it has opened a new cargo route to Guangzhou, China. The first cargo flight NZ1082 took off from Christchurch bound for Guangzhou on February 3 – a first for the airline. 

Air New Zealand is operating three return services to Guangzhou this week to support the export and import of premium goods over the Chinese New Year peak.

From next week, the airline will operate two multi-stop services a week using its Boeing 787-9 fleet to pick up goods in Auckland and Christchurch to carry to Guangzhou.

Air New Zealand General Manager Cargo Anna Palairet says the airline continues to offer innovative ways to keep Kiwi businesses connected to the world.

“Our teams in New Zealand have been working tirelessly to get these flights operational and we couldn’t be more pleased to be offering a cargo service to Guangzhou for the first time.

“We’re really excited to be able to connect New Zealand businesses to Guangzhou and vice versa. We know it hasn’t been easy for exporters and importers so it’s great to be able to offer more connectivity.

“By offering a stop in Christchurch this will help more businesses get their cargo to China and ensure our partners in Guangzhou get the freshest, high-quality products New Zealand has to offer.”

Flights to Guangzhou will carry local premium export goods including seafood and milk powder, and flights to New Zealand will carry PPE, electronics and other general cargo.