In order to maintain its market share, the nation's largest airline, Air New Zealand Ltd., purposes to lower fares on services to Australia and the Pacific Islands.

In order to reduce the waiting times, the check-in service will be made more efficient. In addition to that, Airbus A320 aircraft will be customized to a single class, with a seating capacity of 171 people, proclaimed the Auckland-based company.

The airline said that keeping in view the tighter travel budgets of companies and Governments, business class will be deprived of most services.

Virgin Blue Holdings Ltd. and Qantas Airways Ltd. are its competitors to carry the 5.8 million people crossing the Tasman Sea to and from Australia every year. Bruce Parton, General Manager of the airline's short-haul unit revealed that Air New Zealand has the largest share, shifting about 2.1 million of those travelers, and plans to maintain that competition.

The customers will be provided with an option of four fares to choose from, but the new pricing structure will be made public from Christchurch in April, though the services will be across the nation from September.