Hainan Airlines relaunches direct flight from Shenzhen to Auckland

WELLINGTON, June 20 (Xinhua) -- China's Hainan Airlines has relaunched its regular flight operation between New Zealand's Auckland and China's Shenzhen.

Currently, Hainan Airlines flies twice per week from Auckland to Shenzhen, on Tuesday and on Saturday. The first flight after the relaunch was on June 17, according to a statement of the airlines on Tuesday.

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said on Monday that the direct airline connectivity between New Zealand and China is expected to return to around 75 percent of pre-COVID levels in the second quarter of 2023.

Previously, airlines such as Air New Zealand, Air China and China Southern Airlines have been operating direct fights between the two countries.