Air New Zealand is pleased to announce it will resume a non-stop seasonal service between Auckland and Osaka, Japan from November 2016.

Using Boeing 767-300 aircraft, the airline will operate three return services per week on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays between November 2016 and March 2017, subject to government and regulatory approvals.

With a flight time around 11 hours, the outbound service will depart Auckland at 10.25am and arrive at Kansai International Airport in Osaka at 6.00pm, the same day. The inbound flight will depart Osaka at 9.00pm and arrive in Auckland at 12.05pm the following day.

In 2013 Air New Zealand consolidated its services to Japan, suspending the Osaka route and refocusing on growing its Tokyo Narita services. Since that time, Air New Zealand has significantly grown traffic between New Zealand and Japan, creating new demand for a seasonal Osaka service.

Tickets will go on sale soon.