CAIRNS' fightback from the damaging blow to the loss of Japanese tourists continues to gain momentum with Air New Zealand increasing flights during the Australian summer.

The Kiwi carrier will lift its Cairns flights from three a week to four between November and February.

The A320 plane will provide an additional 160-170 seats a week, importantly providing seamless connections for Cairns to the Canadian and US markets.

As well, Air New Zealand will streamline its links with Cairns by rescheduling all flights to day services in a bid to lift the profitability of the route and increase its appeal to passengers.

The additional seat capacity follows a meeting at the weekend in Auckland between senior executives from the airline's commercial and network planning divisions and Tourism Tropical North Queensland's Group director for marketing, David Rose.

"As a major network carrier Air New Zealand was at the top of our list of international airlines to speak to following the decision by Qantas Group to reduce flights into Cairns," Mr Rose said.

"We've traditionally enjoyed a very close working relationship with Air New Zealand, and as part of TTNQ's four-point plan we wanted to meet with their key decision makers as quickly as possible to protect and if possible grow existing seat capacity."

Flights from Auckland will all leave at either 6.45am or 10am on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, providing day flights in both directions.

Additionally, the new schedules will provide better connections for Air New Zealand's US services along with Asian and domestic routes.

While frequency will reduce again to three a week from February 2009, Air New Zealand's confidence in Tropical North Queensland as a top tourism destination for Kiwis has been applauded by TTNQ chief executive, Rob Giason.

"The additional seat capacity, combined with the retimed departures, will have a practical and positive benefit for our region and its tourism operators," Mr Giason said.

"New Zealand remains one of our most important markets. It has been reliable and steady and the opportunity now exists for us to focus on growing it much further.

"We will continue to work with our partners at Tourism Queensland to further develop a joint marketing strategy with Air New Zealand to ensure those seats are filled not only with Kiwis, but Canadians, Americans and even Japanese, considering Air New Zealand's services into western Japan."

Mr Giason added that, like Far North Queensland, Air New Zealand was experiencing significant growth in the China market, and had expressed an interest in working with Cairns to develop joint Auckland/Cairns combinations for Chinese visitors.

About 40,000 New Zealanders visit Cairns annually.

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