Air New Zealand has announced an additional 13,000 seats in Samoa, demonstrating their dedication to strengthening ties with Samoa.

The additional seats will facilitate more frequent and flexible travel options for business and leisure travelers, fostering cultural exchange and economic growth.

The airline has increased their flight capacity to the Pacific Islands. From November 2024 to March 2025, adding tens of thousands of seats to the Pacific destinations, marking a nine per cent increase in its current capacity.

According to the airline, this expansion is a testament to their commitment to providing more travel opportunities and enhancing connectivity within the Pacific region.

In addition, Air New Zealand is also increasing capacity to other Pacific destinations. This includes 12,000 additional seats to Nadi, 7,000 to both Tonga and Rarotonga, and 2,500 to Tahiti. These increases will give Air New Zealand customers more choices and greater flexibility when planning their travels.

Chief Executive Officer of Samoa Tourism, Toleafoa Pativaine Petaia-Tevita said she is delighted with this significant increase in flight capacity, a positive step towards boosting tourism and economic growth for Samoa and the Pacific region.

“The additional seats provide more travel opportunities for tourists and enhance connectivity within the Pacific,” she said.

In 2022, Air New Zealand announced as much as 12 flights per week between Auckland and Apia from December 2022 to March 2023.

Meanwhile, the airline pulling the plug on its climate targets saying the resources needed to meet them are unaffordable and unavailable, has been criticized.

In a statement, the airline said it was removing its 2030 carbon intensity reduction target and will withdraw from the Science Based Targets initiative.

It said the new aircraft and alternative jet fuels were hard to get and are expensive.

Chief executive Greg Foran said these supply chain issues and expenses could slow the introduction of newer, more fuel efficient aircraft into the fleet.

He said work had begun to consider a new near-term climate target that would better reflect industry challenges.

Air New Zealand chair Dame Therese Walsh said the airline remained committed to reaching its 2050 net zero carbon emissions target.

"Our work to transition away from fossil fuels continues, as does our advocacy for the global and domestic regulatory and policy settings that will help facilitate Air New Zealand, and the wider aviation system in New Zealand, to do its part to mitigate climate change risks," she said.