In what many see as a surprising announcement Batik Air Malaysia has announced that it is entering the New Zealand market with new flights to the country’s largest city of Auckland due to begin from August 24 2023. The catch however is that due to the airline operating narrow body aircraft the new service will be operated via Perth as a continuation of an existing service using the carrier’s flagship Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft.
The new service will mean a lengthy 12-13 hour journey to and from New Zealand depending on direction of travel with the two class 172 aircraft set to cover a distance of 5,886 miles (9,472km) in the process and the 7 hour 40 min leg from Auckland to Perth will firmly earn the carrier the titles of operating the longest narrow-body flight into and out of New Zealand.
The new service to New Zealand which continues on from its existing Perth flights will operate as follows
KL – Perth Depart OD195 09.55am arrive 15.30pm (5H35M)
Perth – Auckland OD195 Depart 18.05PM arrive 04.45am (6H40M)
Auckland – Perth 0D196 Depart 107.00am arrive 10.40am (two days) 07.50am – 11.30am (two days) 7H40m
Perth – KL OD196 11.40am-17.20pm (four days), 12.30pm -18.10pm (two days) 5H20m
In great news for West Australian travellers the new flights between Perth and Auckland will be offered as Fifth Freedom flights meaning that passengers can take advantage of potentially cheaper direct flights between Australia and Auckland which are currently sold by Air New Zealand who are currently wet leasing a Wamos Air Airbus A330 aircraft to operate the route on its behalf.
