Jake Nelson

The Skynest pods, which economy and premium economy passengers will be able to book separately for four-hour sessions, will initially be rolled out on flights from Auckland to New York and Chicago for around NZ$400-$600 per session.

The NZ carrier is planning to buy eight new 787-9 Dreamliners and five Airbus A320neo aircraft for its Tasman and Pacific Island services, and is in final negotiations to purchase another 777-300ER for its international network.

US President Joe Biden and Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg have announced new rules mandating compensation and coverage of expenses for passengers affected by “controllable” airline delays and cancellations, including accommodation, meals, and rebookings.

Virgin had planned to commence flights from Cairns to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport with 737 MAX planes from 28 June, but as none of the planes it has on order have arrived, the airline is instead resorting to its 12-year-old 737-700 fleet to ensure the service launches on time.

From 1 July, 2024, the PMC – which has been set at $60 per passenger since 2017 – will be increased to $70 despite tourism peaks warning that it could hamper the sector’s post-COVID recovery.

Costs have been awarded against Rex, which attempted to trademark “Economy X” for itself after refusing to remove the designation from seats on 737s formerly operated by Virgin. Rex leased the planes to launch its capital city routes while the rival airline was in administration during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21.