Air New Zealand plans to reduce services on its London-Hong Kong flights from September due to weak market conditions.

The airline says in a statement that it will drop one weekly service in September and a second in October, giving it five weekly services after the cuts. Air New Zealand started flying to Hong Kong from London in November 2006.

"As everyone is well aware the airline industry is facing exceedingly tough times at the moment and regrettably, the Asia markets have been hit hardest. It is in this context that Air New Zealand has taken the decision to reduce flights on the London-Hong Kong route," says Scott Carr, Air New Zealand general manager, UK and Europe.

"These are not easy decisions for any airline but we are confident that this is the right action for our business at this point in time. However, while times are tough, overall we firmly believe we are well placed to deal with the current environment to deliver a great flying experience for our customers."

Source: Air Transport Intelligence news