Qantas (QF, Sydney Kingsford Smith) and trans-Pacific partner American Airlines (AA, Dallas/Fort Worth) have announced plans to enter the New Zealand-United States market, currently dominated by Air New Zealand (NZ, Auckland International).

Following their recent move to enhance their four year-old strategic partnership primarily through the introduction of new flights between the United States and Australia, Qantas and American have now said they will be filing applications with Wellington concerning the relevant traffic rights.

"It's certainly a market that Qantas and American are interested in [in] the context of the partnership and that's why we'll be lodging with the New Zealand Ministry of Transport for regulatory approval to serve the market at some point," a Qantas spokesman told the New Zealand Herald in a statement.

Qantas withdrew from the New Zealand-United States market in 2012 following sustained losses on its Auckland International-Los Angeles International route. However, despite negative past experiences in that market, the Australian carrier believes it could be profitable albeit when done in conjunction with American using AA's aircraft.

Later this year, American will resume services to Australia following a 23 year-long hiatus with a direct Los Angeles Int'l-Sydney Kingford Smith route operated on-board a B777-300ER.