Originally Posted by
SJC ORD LDR
It would be so convenient for those of us who want to go to the South Island, but I am a bit surprised that they will have enough people to fly LAX-CHC even at 3x weekly seasonally. Christchurch isn't a huge city, so it would be almost all US tourists. But, then again, the South Island is one of the most beautiful spots on earth. I wonder what percentage of tourists would rather to go ZQN instead of CHC? When I flew NZ in 2008/9, it was SFO-AKL-CHC then ZQN-AKL, and then AKL-SFO.
ZQN is a small airport. I guess it would not get a wide aircraft in or out. B737/A320 is all it takes. The tourist trap of Queenstown is not all that is in the South Island.
But agree suspect it will be hard to get a good load. Large wide body aircraft need paying business class pax to make the economics work. But Oct 2020 is long time away: the travel market changes