The Cook Islands prime minister, Dr Robert Woonton, has welcomed a decision by Air New Zealand to lower fares to and from the Cook Islands.
From May the 20th, Air New Zealand will sell about a third of its seats to four Pacific destinations at about half the current prices.
Dr Woonton says the Pacific Express service is a very positive move to promote travel to and from his country.
The new fares are available for trips between New Zealand and Nuku'alofa, Apia, Nadi and Rarotonga.
The lowest of the new one-way fares is 199 New Zealand dollars for an Auckland to Nuku'alofa flight excluding taxes and levies.
Air New Zealand's best one-way fare to Fiji will be 229 dollars and to Samoa and Rarotonga 289 dollars.
