New Zealand and China have renewed the Air New Zealand and Air China strategic alliance through 2031, confirmed by New Zealand’s Ministry of Transport. Since launching in 2015, the partnership has drawn over 480,000 visitors to New Zealand via Beijing and Shanghai, contributing an estimated 3 billion New Zealand dollars ($1.72 billion) to the economy over a decade. In 2025 alone, the alliance generated 379 million New Zealand dollars ($218 million), with average visitor spend at 5,800 New Zealand dollars ($3,333). Tourism Minister Louise Upston noted flight capacity has reached 110% of 2019 levels.

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