Air New Zealand cutting flights by 6 months due to crew illness

Air New Zealand will cut its planned schedule and operate 1.5 percent fewer seats than originally planned during the next six months, Report informs referring to NZHerald.

The airline says it is taking proactive measures to protect customers' travel plans as sickness continues to cause disruption.

And in a move that will anger former crew hoping to get their jobs back, the airline is exploring expensive "wet leasing" aircraft with crew for the busy summer period.

The airline said most customers who experience a flight change will be transferred to another flight on the same day for domestic travel, and for international travel, on the same day or a day either side of their original booking.

Where customers cannot be accommodated within these timeframes, they may change their booking online, opt into credit or request a refund.

Those customers with changes will start to see them from today and will be automatically transferred to another flight. Those with further onward connections may also be disrupted and "we will work through these directly with impacted customers".