No idea. Looking back at ADS-B data can't see any EK flights continuing onto AKLm (going back to 2017). EK don't have any partnership with NZ, just an interline which is hardly a partnership.
Nevertherless, EK have daily flight to AKL so they're still serving AKL. But to the point, wouldn't expect any additional EK 5th freedom to/from Australasia. Their business is feeding the DXB hub, not building abstract 5th freedom routes. The demands for fleet time are high and fleet constraints are large, so they're far more likely to focus capacity on feeding the hub.
Would that change in the future? Never say never, but their business model has been evolving pre-COVID already, e.g. reductions in 5th freedom routes to/from Australasia were already declining. Cut all Aus-NZ except for CHC-SYD in 2018 and would have cut CHC-SYD if they were allowed to by Australian competition authorities, see: https://www.analyticflying.com/p/what-limits-fifth-freedom-flights-to-australia?r=3m1jgk
Recently flew on the daily 777 flight to Bali, which prior Corona used to fly onwards to AKL, the AKL leg is now served by "partner" ANZ.
Do you think this could come back?
Which airline was this on? SQ?
Nope - EK398 !
No idea. Looking back at ADS-B data can't see any EK flights continuing onto AKLm (going back to 2017). EK don't have any partnership with NZ, just an interline which is hardly a partnership.
Nevertherless, EK have daily flight to AKL so they're still serving AKL. But to the point, wouldn't expect any additional EK 5th freedom to/from Australasia. Their business is feeding the DXB hub, not building abstract 5th freedom routes. The demands for fleet time are high and fleet constraints are large, so they're far more likely to focus capacity on feeding the hub.
Would that change in the future? Never say never, but their business model has been evolving pre-COVID already, e.g. reductions in 5th freedom routes to/from Australasia were already declining. Cut all Aus-NZ except for CHC-SYD in 2018 and would have cut CHC-SYD if they were allowed to by Australian competition authorities, see: https://www.analyticflying.com/p/what-limits-fifth-freedom-flights-to-australia?r=3m1jgk