Wellington, Oct 6 NZPA - Sydney and Canberra airports want the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to overturn its initial opposition to a planned alliance between Air New Zealand and Virgin Blue on trans-Tasman flights.

Wellington, Sept 24 NZPA - Air New Zealand is optimistic operating earnings will improve next year despite another "tough year", its chairman told its annual shareholder meeting today.

By Paloma Migone of NZPA Wellington, Sept 10 NZPA - Air New Zealand and Virgin Blue alliance plans have taken a blow after Australia's competition regulator issued a draft decision denying them permission to merge.

Wellington, Sept 10 NZPA - Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has issued a draft determination proposing to deny authorisation for an alliance between Air New Zealand and Virgin Blue, saying it is likely to reduce competition in the trans-Tasman market.

Wellington, July 16 NZPA - New Zealand Refining Company's share price jumped 16c today to $3.40 -- a rise of nearly 5 percent -- on the back of a high-profile official opening of its $190 million Point Forward expansion, which lifted the refinery capacity by 15 percent to around 135,000 barrels

Wellington, July 16 NZPA - Air New Zealand shares edged up in early trading after the company, responding to a media report, said it had not bought any shares in airline Virgin Blue.

Wellington, July 16 NZPA - Air New Zealand advised the stock exchange it had not bought any shares in airline Virgin Blue but its statement, made in response to media reports, did not rule out such a move.

Wellington, May 14 NZPA - A war of words and sign language has broken out between Air New Zealand and the New Zealand Listener magazine. Both accuse the other of being deaf.

Wellington, May 10 NZPA - The extent of the influx of Australian tourists to New Zealand when long haul markets were hit by the global recession and the swine flu epidemic is revealed in Ministry of Tourism figures released today.

Wellington, May 4 NZPA - The New Zealand sharemarket inched up about half a percent today as it continued to feel the weight of the Australian market, still reeling from news of a tax on the key mining industry.