Air New Zealand evaluating direct flights to India: CEO

Air New Zealand is assessing the feasibility of launching direct flights to India, CEO Nikhil Ravishankar said. The airline sees growing opportunities following the India–New Zealand free trade agreement and is working with Air India and Singapore Airlines to strengthen connectivity

Rio de Janeiro: Air New Zealand is assessing the viability of direct flights to Indian cities and the recent free trade agreement between New Zealand and India provides increased opportunities for people to people connectivity, according to the airline’s CEO Nikhil Ravishankar.

Born in Bengaluru in India, Ravishankar took over the reins of Air New Zealand in October 2025. His parents moved to New Zealand when he was around 14 years old.

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“We are thinking about how to better connect the two countries… we are working closely with Singapore Airlines and Air India around servicing and connecting with India,” Ravishankar told PTI.

Speaking with PTI on the sidelines of the recently concluded annual general meeting of the global airlines’ grouping IATA in the city, Ravishankar also said that Air New Zealand has a codeshare partnership with Air India.

Generally, a codeshare partnership allows an airline to book its passengers on its partner carrier on a single ticket. To a query on whether direct air connectivity between New Zealand and India is an option, Ravishankar replied in the affirmative. “Work is underway to assess the viability of those direct routes…,” he said.

Recently, India and New Zealand entered into a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Ravishankar noted that the FTA is quite exciting for both countries in terms of improving trade as well as people-to-people connections.

In New Zealand, the third biggest ethnic group is the Indian diaspora and both countries have common interests, including cricket. Interestingly, Air India’s outgoing CEO and MD Campbell Wilson is a native of New Zealand.

Air New Zealand has a fleet of around 115 aircraft comprising jets and turboprops. There are wide-body Boeing 777s and 787s. Besides, the New Zealand carrier is working with Indian companies, including Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and IBS Software, for various services, Ravishankar said.

Air New Zealand, Air India and Singapore Airlines are part of the airlines’ grouping Star Alliance. In March last year, Air India and Air New Zealand signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that includes having a new codeshare partnership on 16 routes between India, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand.

Passengers will now be able to travel from the Indian cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai on Air India, and connect at Sydney, Melbourne or Singapore onto Air New Zealand-operated flights to Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Queenstown, Air India had said in a release in March 2025 while announcing the MoU. Under the MoU, both airlines would also explore the introduction of a direct service between India and New Zealand by the end of 2028, subject to new aircraft deliveries and approvals from relevant government regulators, the release had said.

Last month, Air New Zealand said it was strengthening connections between India and New Zealand, with increased capacity and improved access via Singapore.

Prior to becoming Air New Zealand’s CEO, Ravishankar was the Chief Digital Officer at the airline. Ravishankar told PTI that he was born in Bengaluru and his parents moved to New Zealand when he was around 14 years old.

“In the nearly five years that Nikhil has been at Air New Zealand he has gained a deep understanding of the aviation sector, and the airline. He has also led major advances in the airline’s technology backbone, loyalty programme and customer proposition,” Air New Zealand had said in a statement in July last year.