Air New Zealand is set to announce a new long-haul destination to add to its international network. The new destination, according to industry sources is mostly likely to be Chicago O’Hare (ORD), USA. The New Zealand Herald reports that Air New Zealand is holding a special “where to next” function for the travel industry on Wednesday morning (28 March 2018), at the airline’s Auckland headquarters.
Chicago has been on Air New Zealand’s sights for quite sometime now with CEO Christopher Luxon stating that it would be the most likely fourth mainland USA destination. The carrier already offers daily services from its Auckland hub to San Francisco, Los Angeles and Houston. These cities, including Chicago O’Hare are hubs of fellow Star Alliance, United Air Lines. The new flights are expected to commence in November and will operate from three to five times weekly. The addition of Chicago would be Air New Zealand’s longest non-stop flight, overtaking its current Houston service.