There has been furious speculation about whether Air New Zealand will resume flights to London from Auckland International Airport.

The national carrier has reportedly lined up slots at Gatwick Airport, according to blog Ishrion Aviation, who offers exclusive insights into airline route networks and schedules before official announcements and other publications.

Air New Zealand dropped its London route in October 2020 after nearly 40 years of service, and was replaced by an Auckland to New York flight. It is said to have given up its Heathrow slot for a reported $27 million (£22 million).

Auckland is the most popular destination in New Zealand for British tourists, according to Tourism New Zealand, highlighting the important need to reconnect the city with London to capitalise on this crowd. Known as the “city of sails”, it boasts a waterfront, skyline, and many beaches.

“Air New Zealand attempts to relaunch flights to London. The airline requested a daily slot at London Heathrow (LHR), but unsurprisingly, didn’t receive it,” Ishrion Aviation wrote on X, formerly Twitter, adding that having failed at this airport they turned to Gatwick and received slots for daily service starting in July 2025.

“No guarantees they actually launch flights though,” it warned.

An Air New Zealand spokesperson told Express.co.uk: “We are constantly reviewing our network and we actively listen to the feedback we get from New Zealanders as to where they would love to fly.

“It’s not uncommon for airlines to apply for slots in new airports as part of this network review process.

“London is one of those destinations New Zealand has a very special connection to and we continue to explore options.”

Aviation expert Irene King explained the only way to make a point of difference is to offer a non-stop flight – however, the technology is not yet available.

“If they are serious about going back into London, the technology will emerge that they can go direct. It’s just really not there yet. So I’m not discounting that they’re going to go back,” King told Stuff. “The game changer would be non-stop.”

In a media release from 2019 explaining the decision to launch the Auckland-LA route, shared with Express.co.uk, the national carrier said: “To direct capacity to faster-growing markets, the airline has also made the difficult decision to withdraw from its daily Los Angeles-London service from October 2020.”

“Air New Zealand is strongest when operating direct flights to and from our home base and this reset will put us in the best possible position to take advantage of increasing demand across the Pacific Rim,” added Air New Zealand Acting CEO Jeff McDowall. “New York has been an aspiration for Air New Zealand for some time and withdrawal from the Atlantic will free up aircraft capacity to make this milestone a reality.”

Last October, the airline announced it would be stopping the direct Invercargill to Wellington flights from January 19, while changing the aircraft on other routes – including from Queenstown to Christchurch – from a 171-seat Airbus A320 to a 68-seat ATR-72 on two routes.

Auckland is one of the top cities in New Zealand for Brits, with a large expat community. It is considered to be one of the safest cities in the world, with friendly and welcoming residents.

For shorter-term visitors, the summer is the best time to visit for warm temperatures, but this also comes as the peak tourist season. The spring and autumn seasons welcome far fewer crowds and milder temperatures, while the winter months see frequent rain.