American Airlines says it will come back stronger after a two month break in flights between Los Angeles and Auckland. American was withdrawing from the market at a time when demand was soft on the trans-Pacific route and stronger in the Northern Hemisphere. The airlines say the decision didn't take into account intense competition on trans-Pacific routes, or the benefits that a closer relationship between Qantas and American had already delivered. The Boeing 787-9 that American will introduce has 285 seats in total, 59 seats more than the model it's replacing. Butler said cargo made up about 2 per cent or US$800 million of American Airlines' sales last year.

Source: New Zealand Herald June 25, 2017 03:56 UTC