Air New Zealand will launch a direct flight from Beijing to Auckland on July 18, its second direct flight linking the two nations.

Flight NZ086 will leave Beijing on Thursday and Saturday, while the returning flight, NZ087, will depart from Auckland on Wednesday and Friday.

The new route will take about 13 hours for a single journey, saving over three hours compared with transferring flights.

Air New Zealand launched its inaugural direct flight between Auckland and Shanghai in 2006.

China is currently the fastest growing inbound market for New Zealand. By 2012, the number of Chinese visitors to New Zealand is expected to reach 226,000, twice as much as at present.

(Xinhua News Agency April 8, 2008)