Air New Zealand will resume flying all of its Auckland domestic routes when the region moves to Alert Level 2 on Monday.

 The airline has been operating a reduced domestic schedule in and out of Auckland while it has been at Alert Level 3.

The majority of the rest of Air New Zealand’s domestic network has remained unchanged but with physical distancing in place.

 From Monday it will also be mandatory for customers travelling during Alert Level 2 to wear a face covering while on board.

Customers are encouraged to bring their own, or a mask will be provided by the airline prior to boarding.

 Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran says while there will be more flights to and from Auckland, physical distancing will be in place across the airline’s domestic network so there will be fewer seats available for customers.

 “Physical distancing means we can only sell just under 50 percent of seats on a turboprop aircraft and just 65 percent on an A320 which also means we won’t be able to offer our lowest lead in fares until physical distancing measures are removed.”

“This has put huge pressure on our business as it means we need to move some of our customers to other flights. We’d like to thank our customers for their patience and understanding while we work through these changes.”

 “When it comes to face coverings, this has been a requirement for those flying out of Auckland during Alert Level 3 and our customers have been really cooperative to date.”

“We support the government’s move to mandate the wearing of face coverings on public transport at Alert Level 2 from next week.”

 “All Air New Zealand domestic cabin crew and front of house employees will be wearing masks and gloves, and pilots will wear masks when interacting with customers or moving through airport terminals.”