Air New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Air New Zealand Limited (Māori
: Te Kamupene Rererangi o Aotearoa, ) is the national airline
and flag carrier
of New Zealand
. Based in Auckland
, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia
, Europe
, North America
and Oceania
, and is currently the only airline to circumnavigate the world. Air New Zealand is a member of the Star Alliance
global airline alliance, having joined in 1999.
Air New Zealand's route network focuses on Australasia
and the South Pacific
, with long-haul services to Asia, Europe and North America. The airline's main hub is Auckland Airport, located near Mangere
in the southern part of the Auckland urban area. Air New Zealand is headquartered in a building called "The Hub", located 20 km (12.4 mi) away from Auckland Airport, in the Western Reclamation
, central Auckland City
.
Air New Zealand originated in 1940 as Tasman Empire Airways Limited
(TEAL), a flying boat company operating trans-Tasman
flights between New Zealand and Australia. TEAL became wholly owned by the New Zealand government in 1965, whereupon it was renamed Air New Zealand. The airline was largely privatised in 1989, but returned to majority government ownership in 2001 after a failed tie up with Australian carrier Ansett Australia
(when Ansett suffered financial issues and folded operations during that year). As of 2008, Air New Zealand carries 11.7 million passengers annually.
New Zealand's national airline operates a long-haul fleet consisting of Boeing 747
, Boeing 767
, Boeing 777
and Airbus A320
aircraft on international routes. The carrier also utilises a fleet of Airbus A320 and Boeing 737
airliners for short-haul operations. Air New Zealand's regional subsidiaries, Air Nelson
, Eagle Airways
, Mount Cook Airline
, operate additional short-haul New Zealand domestic services. Air New Zealand was rated the eighth best airline in the world by Skytrax
in 2009, and awarded Airline of the Year in 2010 by the Air Transport World
Global Airline Awards.
Air New Zealand began as TEAL
(Tasman Empire Airways Limited) in 1940, operating Short Empire
flying boats on trans-Tasman
routes. Following World War II
, TEAL operated weekly flights from Auckland to Sydney
, and added Wellington
and Fiji
to its routings. The New Zealand and Australian governments purchased 50% stakes in TEAL in 1953, and the airline ended flying boat operations in favor of propeller airliners by 1960. With the introduction of the DC-8 in 1965, TEAL became Air New Zealand—the New Zealand government having purchased Australia's 50% stake in the carrier.
With the increased range of the DC-8s, its first jet aircraft, Air New Zealand began transpacific services to the United States and Asia, and added Los Angeles
and Honolulu as destinations in 1965. The airline further acquired wide-body DC-10 airliners, the first of which arrived in 1973.
In 1978, the domestic airline National Airways Corporation
(NAC) and its subsidiary Safe Air
were merged into Air New Zealand to form a single national airline, further expanding the carrier's operations. In 1981, Air New Zealand added the first Boeing 747
aircraft to its fleet.
In 1982, Air New Zealand initiated service to London
, United Kingdom. 1985 saw the introduction of Boeing 767-200ER
airliners, and in 1989 the airline was privatised with a sale to a consortium headed by Brierley Investments Ltd. (with remaining stakes held by Qantas
, Japan Airlines
, American Airlines
, and the New Zealand government). The New Zealand air transport market underwent deregulation
in 1990, prompting Air New Zealand to acquire a 50% stake in Ansett Australia in 1995. From 1999 through 2000, Air New Zealand became embroiled in an ownership battle over Ansett with co-owner News Limited
over a possible sale of the underperforming carrier to Singapore Airlines
.
In 2000, Air New Zealand announced that it had chosen instead to acquire the entirety of Ansett Australia (increasing its 50% stake in the carrier to 100%) for $A680 million from News Corporation Ltd. Many believe this to have been a critical mistake, as Ansett's fleet, staffing levels and infrastructure far outweighed that of Air NZ. Subsequently, both carriers' profitability came under question, and foreign offers to purchase the Air New Zealand Group were considered. In September 2001, plagued by costs it could not possibly afford, the Air New Zealand / Ansett Group neared collapse. A failed attempt at purchasing Virgin Blue was the final straw, and on 12 September, out of both time and cash, Air New Zealand placed Ansett Australia into voluntary administration, following which Ansett was forced to cease operations. Air New Zealand announced a $NZ1.425 billion operating loss.
In 2002, Air New Zealand reconfigured its domestic operations under a low-cost airline business plan, and the New Zealand government weighed (and later refused) a proposal from Qantas to purchase a one-fifth stake in the carrier. Air New Zealand returned to profitability in 2003, reporting a net profit of $NZ165.7 million for that year. The carrier saw increasing profits through 2004 and 2005. In 2004, the airline announced a comprehensive relaunch of its long-haul product, featuring the introduction of new seats in its business, premium economy, and economy class cabins. In 2005, Air New Zealand received the first of its newly ordered Boeing 777-200ER
wide-body aircraft, and the airline placed orders for the Boeing 787-9.
In 2009, the airline announced a massive drop in profits due to the global economic crisis and the high oil prices that affected the airline industry during 2008.
Air New Zealand subsequently purchased an approximate 19% shareholding in Virgin Blue Holdings (the owner of Virgin Blue/V Australia/Pacific Blue) to cement the relationship. It is understood to be a long term holding with Air New Zealand saying that at present it does not wish to own more.
, was devastated by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake, causing loss of life and extensive damage to the city.
The international airport was immediately closed for 18 hours so to allow airport management to assess the runway and allow only the most urgent medical and rescue flights. After the all clear was given, the airport was opened to international emergency aid flights, and later in the day, evacuation flights in which Air New Zealand was to the fore.
The airline drafted in all its available wide bodied airliners to airlift stranded tourists and refuges out of the shattered city. The airline also laid on the special evacuation fare of $50.00 to allow anyone to leave on flights served directly by the city. Auckland domestic services were flown by Boeing 747-400, Boeing 777-200ER and its new Boeing 777-300ER types. Wellington had Boeing 777-200ER and Boeing 767-300s serving, aircraft that are seldom seen at that airport. Provincial destinations such as Hamilton, Palmerston North, and Invercargill received jet aircraft equipment not usually seen at those airports as well. Evacuation flights ended in March 2011 but compassionate airfares have been made available to Christchurch residents since.
Precinct 2, Auckland City; it includes two connected six level buildings. The facility consists of a lot of glass to allow sunlight and therefore reduce electricity consumption. The building does not have cubicle walls. Lights automatically turn on at 7:30 A.M. and turn off at 6 P.M. Sensors throughout the building can turn on lights if they detect human activity, and turn off lights if human activity is not detected for 15 minutes. The building cost $60 million New Zealand dollar
s to build and develop. From late September to early October 2006 the airline moved 1,000 employees from four buildings in the Auckland CBD
and some other buildings. "The Hub" is owned by Macquarie Goodman Property Trust. In 2006 the airline took an initial 11 year lease for 4.1 million dollars each year; the rent cost is subject to a yearly review to account for increases in property value.
The company previously had its head office in the Quay Tower in the CBD. In its history the airline had its head office in Airways House on Customs Street East.
Air New Zealand has four wholly owned subsidiary airlines:
Three are fully integrated regional airline
s – Air Nelson, Eagle Airways and Mount Cook Airline – which serve secondary destinations in New Zealand. Together they make up Air New Zealand Link
.
Safe Air Australia is a subsidiary of Safe Air New Zealand.
Other major sponsorship by Air New Zealand:
On 27 March 2006, Air New Zealand embarked on a changeover to a new brand
identity, involving a new Zambesi-designed uniform, new logo
, new colour scheme and new look check-in counters and lounges. The new uniforms feature a colour palette mirroring the greenstone, teal, schist and slate hues of New Zealand, sea and sky (a Māori
motif created by Derek Lardelli) fabric woven from merino wool, and curves inspired by the koru. A greenstone colour replaces the blue Pacific Wave colour, inspired by the colour of the pounamu, the prized gemstone found in New Zealand. The Air New Zealand Koru was woven through all Air New Zealand's signage and products.
Later in 2009 staff were involved in testing fabrics and cuts of uniforms. "'It would be fair to say that the lessons from the development and introduction of the current uniform have been taken on board," said Mr. Fyfe after widespread public and staff criticism.
The Air New Zealand Māori symbol is a koru
. It is a stylised representation of a fern
frond unfolding, and signifies new life, growth and renewal. The koru was used on the prows of the early Polynesian canoes that sailed the Pacific with its many islands.
The koru was first applied to the tail of Air New Zealand aircraft with the arrival of the DC-10 in 1973, and has remained ever since. The current aircraft livery was adopted in 1996. The koru also appears on the Air New Zealand house flag and flies at international airports such as Los Angeles Airport
.
A redesigned logo was unveiled on 21 March 2006. The new logo has been introduced in all advertising, signage and stationery and on planes. The "Pacific Wave" fuselage stripes were removed from short-haul aircraft in 2009, simplifying the overall livery.
, Europe
, North America
and Oceania
.
Apart from flying from hub city Auckland, Air New Zealand also flies the Los Angeles – Heathrow and Hong Kong – Heathrow routes. In December 2009, Air New Zealand announced a new Sydney – Rarotonga service to attract more Australians. Air New Zealand will be the only airline to operate direct services between the two nations. Previously, passengers from Australia had to transfer in Auckland to a connecting flight to Rarotonga. Currently, Air New Zealand already operates out of Rarotonga to Auckland and Los Angeles.
airlines and the following airlines:
jet aircraft for long-haul flights, and Boeing
and Airbus
aircraft for domestic and short-haul international flights. Air New Zealand's subsidiaries operate various makes of turboprop
aircraft.
The majority of the airline's main fleet is made up of short-haul jet aircraft in the form of Boeing 737-300
s and Airbus A320-200s. The fifteen 737-300s are used on domestic routes between the major airports (Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Queenstown), and also fly on routes to Niue in the Pacific. The fleet also includes the last 737-300 built, ZK-NGJ, which was delivered to Air New Zealand in December 1999. The twelve A320-200s are used on short-haul international routes to Australia and the Pacific Islands, and are used on all international services to and from New Zealand airports other than Auckland and Christchurch.
The international long-haul fleet consists of Boeing 767-300ER
, Boeing 777-200ER
, Boeing 777-300ER
and Boeing 747-400
jet aircraft. The five Boeing 767 aircraft operate routes to many outer Pacific Islands, Honolulu and Los Angeles, Osaka, and some flights to Australia including all those to Perth. They all have recently been retrofitted with winglets to increase fuel economy. The eight 777-200ER aircraft operate on the majority of the long-haul routes, including Asia, North America, London via Hong Kong, and some Pacific Islands. The three current 777-300ER aircraft service London via Los Angeles and Australia. The remaining fleet of six 747-400 aircraft operate daily to San Francisco, and occasionally to Vancouver and Australia. Two of these will be retired in 2011 and a further two in 2012 leaving a long term 747-400 fleet size of two.
For regional domestic services, three makes of turboprop aircraft are used, each make belonging to a single subsidiary. Mount Cook Airline operates eleven ATR 72-500
aircraft between major centres, such as Hamilton, Palmerston North, Rotorua, Tauranga, Napier, and Invercargill. The 23 Air Nelson-operated Bombardier Q300 operate mainly on major routes alongside Mount Cook Airline, including to some smaller centres. Eagle Airways' eighteen Beechcraft 1900
D operate on minor routes between smaller urban areas.
The Boeing customer code for Air New Zealand is 19, which was sequestered from the National Airways Corporation on its merger with Air New Zealand in 1978 (Air New Zealand itself didn't own any Boeing aircraft before 1978). All Boeing aircraft built for Air New Zealand are designated with the customer code, so a Boeing 777-200ER built for Air New Zealand is designated a 777-219ER.
Notes: On Tasman and Pacific flights, seats 07E through 15E are reserved Works Deluxe empty seats for . SkyCouches consists of three economy seats that come together to form one couch. There are 60 economy seats on the 777-300ER coming together to form 20 couches. Aircraft options
on eleven more A320s and/or larger A321s
. The new aircraft, seating 171 passengers and powered by IAE V2500 engines, will take over the domestic routes operated by the 737-300 and are expected to be introduced from February 2011. Air New Zealand chose the A320 over the rival Boeing 737-800
on grounds of better fuel economy, lower pricing in purchasing, and lower running costs (due to the commonality with the airline's existing A320 short-haul international fleet).
Air New Zealand will also be the launch airline for the new "sharklet" winglets that are due to be added to the Airbus A320 family in 2012, decreasing fuel burn by 3.5 percent and cutting carbon emissions.
The airline has ordered five Boeing 777-300ER
aircraft to replace its older Boeing 747-400s, with options on two more. The first aircraft, ZK-OKM, completed its maiden flight on 8 November 2010, and was handed over to Air New Zealand at Boeing's Everett, Washington
plant on 22 December 2010.
Air NZ has placed a $340 million order for 7 ATR-600s and 5 options to arrive from October 2012 these will be based in Auckland.
, a type that Airbus has wooed Air New Zealand with back to buying that company's products.
The following timeline shows the type operated, year, and fleet size (number of aircraft).
On 28 June 2004, Air New Zealand released details of the upgrade to their long-haul product, which was aimed to turn around the profitability of its international services. Every seat on their Airbus A320-200
, Boeing 767-300ER
, Boeing 777-200ER
and Boeing 747-400
aircraft is equipped with a personal LCD screen with audio video on demand (AVOD). First class was removed, with an upgraded business class and a new premium economy section installed.
In January 2010, Air New Zealand released details of their new "Kupe" long-haul product for their new 777-300ER aircraft for delivery later that year, as well as on their future 787-9 aircraft and their existing 777-200 aircraft. Changes included an improved Business Premier and Economy class product, a new Premium Economy cabin, and the introduction of the Economy SkyCouch.
in a 1-2-1 configuration (1-1 on the upper deck of the 747), allowing direct access for every passenger to an aisle. Each seat is 22 inches (55.9 cm) wide leather and comes with an ottoman
footrest that doubles as a visitor seat. The seat converts to a full length (79.5 in (201.9 cm)) lie-flat bed, for which a pillow, duvet and sheet are provided.
Each seat comes with a large tray table, multiple stowage bins, a cocktail tray, a bottle holder, in-seat power, three reading lights, and an AVOD system with a 10.4-inch monitor. On the 777-300ER, each seat also has USB
and iPod
connectivity, and a larger 12.1-inch touchscreen monitor.
Designed by Air New Zealand in consultation with US design studio IDEO
, the new Premium Economy cabin uses a 2-2-2 seating configuration. The central pair of Spaceseats are slightly angled for those travelling with a colleague or partner, and the two arm rests can form a single table for shared in-flight dining. The pairs of outboard Spaceseats on either side are angled to enhance privacy for solo flyers. The seats are built around a hard shell so the passenger in front cannot recline into the space of the person sitting behind. Instead, the seat slides forward and angles up as it reclines into the shell, similar to an armchair.
On the 777-300ER, economy seats also have USB, iPod and power connections, a cup-holder and trinket tray, and a headrest designed to allow a special sleep pillow to attach to it, preventing it from slipping downwards during sleep.
The SkyCouch has earned the nickname "cuddle class" by media reporting on the new innovative seating, from the ability for couples to curl up and "cuddle" together on the 30 by 55 in (76.2 by 139.7 cm) flat surface. Concerns were raised almost immediately over if the couch could potentially be a new place to join the mile high club
. Air New Zealand responded that public displays of affection of that level would not be tolerated in its aircraft. The airline even went to release a billboard advertisement entitled "The Economy SkyCouch activity guide", suggesting "spoons
" were allowed, but "forks
" were not.
. The later systems, enhanced with a touch-screen functionality, were manufactured by Panasonic Avionics Corporation
.
The AVOD system, branded KiaOra, features multiple channels of video, audio, music, and games. Passengers can start and stop programs, plus rewind and fast-forward as desired. Recently, Air New Zealand has introduced a gate-to-gate in-flight entertainment
experience. Passengers can start their entertainment as soon as they board the plane, and continue until they arrive at the gate of their destination, maximizing play time, which is especially useful for its short-haul Tasman and Pacific Island flights. Gate-to-gate in-flight entertainment is not available on certain seats in economy (such as the bulkhead and emergency exit row seats), and on all Business Class seats on its 767s as they use fold-out PTV.
AVOD screen size varies:
KiaOra, the airline's in-flight magazine, was removed from international flights from March 2009. It is now only on-board on all the domestic services. As a guide on international services, there is now a brief publication named Entertainment Magazine detailing the entertainment available on the flight.
staff on selected long-haul international flights, whose function is to advise passengers personally on travel advice, onward bookings, and other services relating to their travel itinerary. The service is available on routes between Auckland and Vancouver, San Francisco and Los Angeles as well as from Los Angeles to London Heathrow and is available to all passengers on board.
There are four options, building on each other:
The AVOD system consists of a 8.4-inch screen. In addition, the AVOD screens allow ordering of drinks and snacks to be delivered to their seat by the cabin crew. Works and Works Deluxe passengers get complimentary drinks after their meal, while drinks for Seat and Seat+Bag passengers, and snacks for all passengers are available for purchase using a credit card or a voucher purchased at the airport prior to boarding.
Airpoints Gold and Gold Elite are entitled to an additional carry-on bag up to 7 kg on all options. Airpoints Gold, Gold Elite and Koru members are entitled to an additional checked bag up to 23 kg on all options except Seat.
Domestic flights operate on two fare schedules – Saver and Flexi. Saver is non-refundable and allows one checked bag up to 23 kg. Flexi is fully refundable and allows two checked bags up to 23 kg each. Flexi passengers, along with Airpoints and Koru members, get priority over the Space+ seating.
With the exception of Eagle Airways Beech 1900D flights, which do not have a flight attendant, all domestic passengers are offered tea, coffee or water. Passengers on turboprop aircraft are also offered a biscuit, while those on 737 and A320 flights are offered a choice of snacks, including vege crisps, muesli bars, and biscuits. Hard lollies are handed out to passengers on the descent. On flights before 9am on 737 and A320 aircraft, muesli and muffins are offered, as well as morning newspapers (The New Zealand Herald
, The Dominion Post
, The Press
or Otago Daily Times
, depending on the aircraft's origin), and on flights between 4:30pm and 7:00pm, beer and wine are offered to passengers (provided they are 18 years or over), as well as Lemon & Paeroa
, cheese, crackers and grapes, and bagel crisps and hummus.
.
The proportion of Air New Zealand’s passengers using self-service check-in is increasing. Following the launch of its domestic product, the airline reached its 80% self-service target three days after going live. That has continued to grow to the stage that the number of full-service customers travelling within its domestic network has reduced to a trickle. The self-service kiosks are now also available for travel out of the Auckland International terminal on trans-Tasman services only, allowing passengers to self check-in with baggage.
Gold status and benefits across the Star Alliance network. The same goes for the Airpoints Silver and Star Alliance Silver, but with fewer benefits. There is a joining fee of NZ$50, which is waived if the person can prove they have already flown Business Class by Air New Zealand.
Airpoints members now will receive Status Points for almost every Air New Zealand flight, as well as many other flights with its Star Alliance partners. Status Points enable members to reach a higher status faster. Status Points will still be granted even on discount fares (such as Smart Saver and grabaseat fares) that normally do not earn Airpoints Dollars.
The campaign featured more than ninety Air New Zealand staff, eight of whom were chosen for starring roles and who swapped their real uniforms for a body painted version. Chief Executive Officer Rob Fyfe made a cameo appearance in full body-paint.
The campaign was designed to differentiate Air New Zealand from low-cost competitors who levy additional charges if a passenger wants to check a bag or have a drink. Air New Zealand have airfares that include baggage allowances and refreshments.
The TV commercial was accompanied by a new in-flight safety video using the same theme. The safety video, titled Bare Essentials, is shown on all Boeing 737-300-operated flights. It features a pilot and four cabin staff. Another version was released later, this time for the Airbus A320.
The TV ad and in-flight safety video both use the track "Under My Skin" by New Zealand singer Gin Wigmore
.
Both videos can be viewed on the campaign website Nothing To Hide, complete with bloopers and behind the scenes. On YouTube
the TV commercial has attracted almost 4 million views and the in-flight safety video gathered over 4.5 million. The campaign has been reported by international networks such as CNN and the BBC.
In late 2009 Air New Zealand started to put up billboard ads where a body painted staff member was walking into a carwash or ready to go down a water slide or even ready to jump off a diving board.
Eventually, a union proposal to save some of the remaining jobs was accepted. The proposal included shift and pay changes (most of them pay-cuts) which would allow about 300 engineers in Auckland to keep their jobs. 200 were made redundant or resigned.
& British Airways
) has a policy of not seating adult male passengers next to unaccompanied children. The policy came to light following an incident in 2004 when Mark Wolsay, who was seated next to a young boy on a Qantas flight in New Zealand, was asked to change seats with a female passenger. A steward informed him that "it was the airline's policy that only women were allowed to sit next to unaccompanied children". Air New Zealand later said it had a similar policy to Qantas, attracting widespread criticism
announced that they had signed a code-share agreement for their trans-Tasman routes and would file for authorisation from the New Zealand Ministry of Transport and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. The airlines maintained that they were making losses on Tasman routes due to too many empty seats, and that a codeshare would return the routes to profitability. Critics, particularly Wellington International Airport
and Melbourne Airport
, argued that the codeshare would lead to reduced passenger choice and higher airfares, and that the airlines were exploiting an effective duopoly on the Tasman routes.
On 15 November 2006 Air New Zealand announced it was withdrawing its application after a draft decision by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to not approve the code-sharing agreement.
magazine had put an article on the Air New Zealand – Virgin Blue trans-Tasman alliance that suggested that due to budget constraints, Air New Zealand would be downgrading its services into a no-frills airline. Air New Zealand subsequently published their responses in sign language advertisements in various newspapers, including The Dominion Post
, and posted the translation on a website, http://www.dearlistener.co.nz.
, Air New Zealand and Boeing researched the jatropha
plant to see if it was a viable green alternative to conventional fuel. A two-hour test flight using a 50-50 mixture of the new biofuel with Jet A-1
in the number one position Rolls Royce RB-211 engine of 747-400 ZK-NBS, was completed on 30 December 2008. The engine was then removed to be scrutinised and studied to identify any differences between the Jatropha blend and regular Jet A1. No effects to performances were found. The use of jatropha has been identified as a possible future fuel but large tracts of low quality land needed to grow the plant would have to be found without impeding other agricultural uses. Air New Zealand took the opportunity to retire ZK-NBS due to the economic global slowdown in 2009. It was then flown to the USA and broken up for reusable parts.
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
: Te Kamupene Rererangi o Aotearoa, ) is the national airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
and flag carrier
Flag carrier
A flag carrier is a transportation company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given country, enjoys preferential rights or privileges, accorded by the government, for international operations. It may be a state-run, state-owned or private but...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Based in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
, and is currently the only airline to circumnavigate the world. Air New Zealand is a member of the Star Alliance
Star Alliance
Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines...
global airline alliance, having joined in 1999.
Air New Zealand's route network focuses on Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
and the South Pacific
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
, with long-haul services to Asia, Europe and North America. The airline's main hub is Auckland Airport, located near Mangere
Mangere
Māngere is one of the larger suburbs in South Auckland, in northern New Zealand.The suburb is located on flat land at the northeastern shore of the Manukau Harbour, to the northwest of the centre of Manukau city and 15 kilometres south of Auckland city centre...
in the southern part of the Auckland urban area. Air New Zealand is headquartered in a building called "The Hub", located 20 km (12.4 mi) away from Auckland Airport, in the Western Reclamation
Western Reclamation
The Wynyard Quarter is a reclaimed piece of land on the Waitemata Harbour at the western edge of the Auckland waterfront, New Zealand....
, central Auckland City
Auckland City
Auckland City was the city and local authority covering the Auckland isthmus and most of the islands of the Hauraki Gulf, in the North Island of New Zealand. On 1 November 2010 it was amalgamated into the wider Auckland Region under the authority of the new Auckland Council...
.
Air New Zealand originated in 1940 as Tasman Empire Airways Limited
TEAL
Tasman Empire Airways Limited was the forerunner of Air New Zealand. It was first registered in Wellington as a limited liability company on 26 April 1940....
(TEAL), a flying boat company operating trans-Tasman
Trans-Tasman
Trans-Tasman is an adjective used primarily in Australia and New Zealand, which signifies an interrelationship between both countries. Its name originates from the Tasman Sea which lies between the two countries...
flights between New Zealand and Australia. TEAL became wholly owned by the New Zealand government in 1965, whereupon it was renamed Air New Zealand. The airline was largely privatised in 1989, but returned to majority government ownership in 2001 after a failed tie up with Australian carrier Ansett Australia
Ansett Australia
Ansett Australia, Ansett, Ansett Airlines of Australia, or ANSETT-ANA as it was commonly known in earlier years, was a major Australian airline group, based in Melbourne. The airlines flew domestically within Australia and to destinations in Asia during its operation in 1996...
(when Ansett suffered financial issues and folded operations during that year). As of 2008, Air New Zealand carries 11.7 million passengers annually.
New Zealand's national airline operates a long-haul fleet consisting of Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
, Boeing 767
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...
, Boeing 777
Boeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
and Airbus A320
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
aircraft on international routes. The carrier also utilises a fleet of Airbus A320 and Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
airliners for short-haul operations. Air New Zealand's regional subsidiaries, Air Nelson
Air Nelson
Air Nelson, a subsidiary of Air New Zealand is a regional airline based in Nelson, New Zealand. It operates services on provincial routes under the Air New Zealand Link brand. Its main base is Nelson Airport, with hubs at Auckland, Napier, New Plymouth, Wellington, Tauranga and Christchurch.The...
, Eagle Airways
Eagle Airways
Eagle Airways is a regional airline based in Hamilton, New Zealand with ten crew bases from Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands to Blenheim in the Marlborough region. It is wholly owned by Air New Zealand and operates regional services under the Air New Zealand Link brand...
, Mount Cook Airline
Mount Cook Airline
Mount Cook Airline is an airline based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is wholly owned by Air New Zealand and operates scheduled services throughout the country under the Air New Zealand Link brand...
, operate additional short-haul New Zealand domestic services. Air New Zealand was rated the eighth best airline in the world by Skytrax
Skytrax
Skytrax is a United Kingdom-based consultancy, the public face of Inflight Research Services, which has the largest airline and airport review and ranking site. It conducts research for commercial airlines...
in 2009, and awarded Airline of the Year in 2010 by the Air Transport World
Air Transport World
Air Transport World is a monthly trade magazine covering the airline industry published by Penton Media. They also provide an online version with daily air transport news. The publication covers airline operations, market conditions, management, and related issues...
Global Airline Awards.
History
TEAL
Tasman Empire Airways Limited was the forerunner of Air New Zealand. It was first registered in Wellington as a limited liability company on 26 April 1940....
(Tasman Empire Airways Limited) in 1940, operating Short Empire
Short Empire
The Short Empire was a passenger and mail carrying flying boat, of the 1930s and 1940s, that flew between Britain and British colonies in Africa, Asia and Australia...
flying boats on trans-Tasman
Trans-Tasman
Trans-Tasman is an adjective used primarily in Australia and New Zealand, which signifies an interrelationship between both countries. Its name originates from the Tasman Sea which lies between the two countries...
routes. Following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, TEAL operated weekly flights from Auckland to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, and added Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
and Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
to its routings. The New Zealand and Australian governments purchased 50% stakes in TEAL in 1953, and the airline ended flying boat operations in favor of propeller airliners by 1960. With the introduction of the DC-8 in 1965, TEAL became Air New Zealand—the New Zealand government having purchased Australia's 50% stake in the carrier.
With the increased range of the DC-8s, its first jet aircraft, Air New Zealand began transpacific services to the United States and Asia, and added Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and Honolulu as destinations in 1965. The airline further acquired wide-body DC-10 airliners, the first of which arrived in 1973.
National Airways Corporation
National Airways Corporation was the national domestic airline of New Zealand from 1947 until 1978 when it amalgamated with New Zealand's international airline, Air New Zealand. The airline was headquartered in Wellington...
(NAC) and its subsidiary Safe Air
Straits Air Freight Express
Straits Air Freight Express is a cargo airline, established in 1950, named for the fact that it encompassed Cook Strait and connected the North Island and South Island railway systems during the 1950s to the 1970s....
were merged into Air New Zealand to form a single national airline, further expanding the carrier's operations. In 1981, Air New Zealand added the first Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
aircraft to its fleet.
In 1982, Air New Zealand initiated service to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, United Kingdom. 1985 saw the introduction of Boeing 767-200ER
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...
airliners, and in 1989 the airline was privatised with a sale to a consortium headed by Brierley Investments Ltd. (with remaining stakes held by Qantas
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
, Japan Airlines
Japan Airlines
is an airline headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. It is the flag carrier of Japan and its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Tokyo International Airport , as well as Nagoya's Chūbu Centrair International Airport and Osaka's Kansai International Airport...
, American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
, and the New Zealand government). The New Zealand air transport market underwent deregulation
Deregulation
Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or...
in 1990, prompting Air New Zealand to acquire a 50% stake in Ansett Australia in 1995. From 1999 through 2000, Air New Zealand became embroiled in an ownership battle over Ansett with co-owner News Limited
News Limited
News Limited is one of Australia's largest diversified media companies. The publicly listed company's interests span newspaper and magazine publishing, Internet, Pay TV, National Rugby League, market research, DVD and film distribution, and film and television production trading assets.News Limited...
over a possible sale of the underperforming carrier to Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines Limited is the flag carrier airline of Singapore. Singapore Airlines operates a hub at Changi Airport and has a strong presence in the Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and "Kangaroo Route" markets...
.
Merger with Ansett
Re-nationalised era
In October 2001, Air New Zealand was re-nationalised under a New Zealand government NZ$885 million rescue plan (with the government taking a 76.5% stake), and subsequently received new leadership. This act was the only thing that spared Air New Zealand from also going into administration, without which it too would have joined its now bankrupt subsidiary, Ansett, and likely would have been grounded.In 2002, Air New Zealand reconfigured its domestic operations under a low-cost airline business plan, and the New Zealand government weighed (and later refused) a proposal from Qantas to purchase a one-fifth stake in the carrier. Air New Zealand returned to profitability in 2003, reporting a net profit of $NZ165.7 million for that year. The carrier saw increasing profits through 2004 and 2005. In 2004, the airline announced a comprehensive relaunch of its long-haul product, featuring the introduction of new seats in its business, premium economy, and economy class cabins. In 2005, Air New Zealand received the first of its newly ordered Boeing 777-200ER
Boeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
wide-body aircraft, and the airline placed orders for the Boeing 787-9.
In 2009, the airline announced a massive drop in profits due to the global economic crisis and the high oil prices that affected the airline industry during 2008.
Virgin Blue
On 21 December 2010, the New Zealand government approved an alliance between Air New Zealand and Australian budget airline Virgin Blue (now named Virgin Australia), which allows both airlines to expand operations between Australia and New Zealand with codeshares for trans-Tasman and connecting domestic flights, reciprocal access to lounges and frequent flyer programs.Air New Zealand subsequently purchased an approximate 19% shareholding in Virgin Blue Holdings (the owner of Virgin Blue/V Australia/Pacific Blue) to cement the relationship. It is understood to be a long term holding with Air New Zealand saying that at present it does not wish to own more.
Earthquake Emergency Airlift Operations
On 22 February 2011 at 12:51pm local time, New Zealand's second largest city, ChristchurchChristchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, was devastated by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake, causing loss of life and extensive damage to the city.
The international airport was immediately closed for 18 hours so to allow airport management to assess the runway and allow only the most urgent medical and rescue flights. After the all clear was given, the airport was opened to international emergency aid flights, and later in the day, evacuation flights in which Air New Zealand was to the fore.
The airline drafted in all its available wide bodied airliners to airlift stranded tourists and refuges out of the shattered city. The airline also laid on the special evacuation fare of $50.00 to allow anyone to leave on flights served directly by the city. Auckland domestic services were flown by Boeing 747-400, Boeing 777-200ER and its new Boeing 777-300ER types. Wellington had Boeing 777-200ER and Boeing 767-300s serving, aircraft that are seldom seen at that airport. Provincial destinations such as Hamilton, Palmerston North, and Invercargill received jet aircraft equipment not usually seen at those airports as well. Evacuation flights ended in March 2011 but compassionate airfares have been made available to Christchurch residents since.
Head office
The Air New Zealand head office, "The Hub," is a 15600 sqm office park located at the corner of Beaumont and Fanshawe Streets in Western ReclamationWestern Reclamation
The Wynyard Quarter is a reclaimed piece of land on the Waitemata Harbour at the western edge of the Auckland waterfront, New Zealand....
Precinct 2, Auckland City; it includes two connected six level buildings. The facility consists of a lot of glass to allow sunlight and therefore reduce electricity consumption. The building does not have cubicle walls. Lights automatically turn on at 7:30 A.M. and turn off at 6 P.M. Sensors throughout the building can turn on lights if they detect human activity, and turn off lights if human activity is not detected for 15 minutes. The building cost $60 million New Zealand dollar
New Zealand dollar
The New Zealand dollar is the currency of New Zealand. It also circulates in the Cook Islands , Niue, Tokelau, and the Pitcairn Islands. It is divided into 100 cents....
s to build and develop. From late September to early October 2006 the airline moved 1,000 employees from four buildings in the Auckland CBD
Auckland CBD
The Auckland CBD is the geographical and economic heart of the Auckland metropolitan area. Bounded by several major motorways and by the harbour coastline in the north, it is surrounded further out by mostly suburban areas...
and some other buildings. "The Hub" is owned by Macquarie Goodman Property Trust. In 2006 the airline took an initial 11 year lease for 4.1 million dollars each year; the rent cost is subject to a yearly review to account for increases in property value.
The company previously had its head office in the Quay Tower in the CBD. In its history the airline had its head office in Airways House on Customs Street East.
Operations subsidiaries
The following are operations subsidiaries of Air New Zealand Limited:- Air New Zealand Consulting
- Air New Zealand Holidays
- Air New Zealand Cargo
Air New Zealand has four wholly owned subsidiary airlines:
Three are fully integrated regional airline
Regional airline
Regional airlines are airlines that operate regional aircraft to provide passenger air service to communities without sufficient demand to attract mainline service...
s – Air Nelson, Eagle Airways and Mount Cook Airline – which serve secondary destinations in New Zealand. Together they make up Air New Zealand Link
Air New Zealand Link
Air New Zealand Link is a brand name under which three regional airlines operate feeder flights for Air New Zealand. They primarily connect regional centers with New Zealand's three main international airports.-History:...
.
- Air NelsonAir NelsonAir Nelson, a subsidiary of Air New Zealand is a regional airline based in Nelson, New Zealand. It operates services on provincial routes under the Air New Zealand Link brand. Its main base is Nelson Airport, with hubs at Auckland, Napier, New Plymouth, Wellington, Tauranga and Christchurch.The...
is based in NelsonNelson, New ZealandNelson is a city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay, and is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson-Tasman region. Established in 1841, it is the second oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island....
, operating Bombardier Q300s. Flight numbers are in the NZ8000 series.
- Eagle AirwaysEagle AirwaysEagle Airways is a regional airline based in Hamilton, New Zealand with ten crew bases from Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands to Blenheim in the Marlborough region. It is wholly owned by Air New Zealand and operates regional services under the Air New Zealand Link brand...
is based in HamiltonHamilton, New ZealandHamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
, operating Beechcraft 1900Beechcraft 1900The Beechcraft 1900 is a 19-passenger, pressurized twin-engine turboprop airplane manufactured by the Beechcraft Division of the Raytheon Company . It was designed, and is primarily used, as a regional airliner...
D aircraft. Flight numbers are in the NZ2000 series.
- Mount Cook AirlineMount Cook AirlineMount Cook Airline is an airline based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is wholly owned by Air New Zealand and operates scheduled services throughout the country under the Air New Zealand Link brand...
is based in ChristchurchChristchurchChristchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, operating ATR 72-500ATR 72The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop short-haul regional airliner built by the French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR. ATR and Airbus are both built in Toulouse, and share resources and technology...
turboprop aircraft. Flight numbers are in the NZ5000 series.
- Zeal320 was introduced to help combat increasing labour costs. Zeal320 operates Air New Zealand's trans-Tasman fleet of Airbus A320-200 aircraft under the Air New Zealand brand. On 31 July 2006, flights were re-numbered to the NZ700-999 series for Trans-Tasman services, and NZ1000 series for Domestic services. All of Air New Zealand's A320-200s were registered to Zeal320 until 26 November 2008, when ownership of the fleet was transferred back to Air New Zealand. However staff that work the A320-200 fleet are still employed by this subsidiary. This has been a bone of contention within the airline group in which these employees are paid at a lower scale than their mainline counterparts. Continued industrial action by staff employed in this subsidiary during 2009 have delayed a proposed LCC airline as a successor to Freedom AirFreedom AirFreedom Air was Air New Zealand Group's low-cost airline which operated from December 1995 to March 2008. It ran scheduled passenger services from New Zealand to Australia and Fiji and charter services within New Zealand...
that would have also employed the Airbus A320 on domestic routes to counter Jetstar AirwaysJetstar AirwaysJetstar Airways is an Australian low-cost airline headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. It is a subsidiary of Qantas, created in response to the threat posed by low-cost airline Virgin Blue...
, also operating in New Zealand.
Technical subsidiaries
The following are technical operations subsidiaries of Air New Zealand:- Air New Zealand Engineering Services
- TAE
- Safe Air New Zealand
- Safe Air Australia
- Christchurch Engine Centre (50%)
- Altitude Aerospace Interiors
Safe Air Australia is a subsidiary of Safe Air New Zealand.
Awards
- Best Air Style – 2011, Premium Economy Spaceseats – "Wallpaper Design Awards"
- Airline of the Year – 2010 Air Transport World Global Airline Awards
- Best Cabin Staff Australia/NZ Region – 2009 World Airline Awards, Skytrax
- Best Passenger Service Award – 2008 Air Transport World magazine awards
- Best Airline to the South Pacific, Australia, and New Zealand in December 2007 by Business Traveler Magazine in the United States
- Australasia's Leading Business Class Airline at the 14th Annual World Travel Awards 2007
- Best Pacific Airline – 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004 TTG Annual Travel Awards
- Best Airline to the Pacific – 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001Travel Weekly Globe Awards
- Best Business Class Carrier, Best Check-in Staff, 1998 Executive Travel magazine awards
Sponsorships
Air New Zealand was the title sponsor of the Air New Zealand Cup domestic rugby club competition through the 2009 season. The airline remains a major sponsor of New Zealand rugby, but chose to concentrate its sponsorship in that area on the country's national team, the All Blacks. The airline also sponsors the Air New Zealand Wine Awards and the Air New Zealand Fashion Export Award.Other major sponsorship by Air New Zealand:
Brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
identity, involving a new Zambesi-designed uniform, new logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
, new colour scheme and new look check-in counters and lounges. The new uniforms feature a colour palette mirroring the greenstone, teal, schist and slate hues of New Zealand, sea and sky (a Māori
Maori culture
Māori culture is the culture of the Māori of New Zealand, an Eastern Polynesian people, and forms a distinctive part of New Zealand culture. Within the Māori community, and to a lesser extent throughout New Zealand as a whole, the word Māoritanga is often used as an approximate synonym for Māori...
motif created by Derek Lardelli) fabric woven from merino wool, and curves inspired by the koru. A greenstone colour replaces the blue Pacific Wave colour, inspired by the colour of the pounamu, the prized gemstone found in New Zealand. The Air New Zealand Koru was woven through all Air New Zealand's signage and products.
Later in 2009 staff were involved in testing fabrics and cuts of uniforms. "'It would be fair to say that the lessons from the development and introduction of the current uniform have been taken on board," said Mr. Fyfe after widespread public and staff criticism.
Livery history
Koru
The koru is a spiral shape based on the shape of a new unfurling silver fern frond and symbolizing new life, growth, strength and peace. It is an integral symbol in Māori art, carving and tattoos...
. It is a stylised representation of a fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
frond unfolding, and signifies new life, growth and renewal. The koru was used on the prows of the early Polynesian canoes that sailed the Pacific with its many islands.
The koru was first applied to the tail of Air New Zealand aircraft with the arrival of the DC-10 in 1973, and has remained ever since. The current aircraft livery was adopted in 1996. The koru also appears on the Air New Zealand house flag and flies at international airports such as Los Angeles Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
.
A redesigned logo was unveiled on 21 March 2006. The new logo has been introduced in all advertising, signage and stationery and on planes. The "Pacific Wave" fuselage stripes were removed from short-haul aircraft in 2009, simplifying the overall livery.
Special liveries
- In 1973, the first McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30s arrived with Christchurch 'NZZN' 1974 Commonwealth Games symbols on both sides of the forward fuselage beneath the cabin windows.
- In 1984, pictures of the Buckingham PalaceBuckingham PalaceBuckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
horse guards with 'London, Here We Come' were placed on the side of the hump of the airline's new Boeing 747-200BsBoeing 747The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
when Air New Zealand was allowed to fly the Los Angeles – London leg of the trans Pacific route in its own name. Prior to this, British AirwaysBritish AirwaysBritish Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
had operated Air New Zealand's aircraft over the US in order to work around a "no pick up and continue" regulation. British Airways was exempt from this regulation.
- A special livery on 747-400 ZK-NBW featuring an image of the All Blacks front row of Carl Hoeft, Anton Oliver and Kees Meeuws was used on the aircraft that took them to the 1999 Rugby World CupRugby World CupThe Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
. ZK-NBW also had a black tail. Two other aircraft were painted in the special All Blacks scheme 737-200QC ZK-NQC and Saab 340 ZK-NSK, both these aircraft retained their blue teal tail colours.
- In 1999, one Boeing 737-300 ZK-NGA was painted in a 'New Millennium' livery depicting celebrations and the America's CupAmerica's CupThe America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...
regatta that was to be held in 2000.
- In 2002 and 2003 Air New Zealand marked its position as "the official airline to Middle Earth" by decorating three planes with The Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the Rings film trilogyThe Lord of the Rings is an epic film trilogy consisting of three fantasy adventure films based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King .The films were directed by Peter...
imagery, applied as giant decals. The decal material was described in airline publicity as being as thin as clingfilm and weighing more than 60 kg. The imagery featured actors from the film trilogy The Lord of the Rings against backdrops of New Zealand locations used in the films.
- 2003-2004 saw Freedom Air paint Boeing 737-300 ZK-FRE, Airbus A320-200 ZK-OJL and ZK-OJO in a mural promoting Warner Brothers Movie World on the Gold Coast. All the major Looney Tunes characters were depicted.
- In 2008, ZK-FRE was painted into a lime green Air New Zealand 'Holidays' livery. As of July 2009, the aircraft was removed from Air New Zealand service and sold to WebJet Linhas AéreasWebJet Linhas AéreasWebJet Linhas Aéreas S.A. is a lowcost Brazilian airline, based in Rio de Janeiro. It was owned by CVC, the largest travel company in Brazil, but was acquired in July 2011 by Gol Transportes Aéreos...
.
- Airbus A320s ZK-OAB and ZK-OJR entered service in 2011 in an All BlacksAll BlacksThe New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
livery. The planes are completely black, with a silver fern motif covering the aft section of the fuselage. The airline has also announced thet the livery will appear on its fifth new Boeing 777-300ER, which will enter service in January 2012.
Destinations
Air New Zealand flies to 27 domestic destinations and 26 international destinations in 14 countries across AsiaAsia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
.
Apart from flying from hub city Auckland, Air New Zealand also flies the Los Angeles – Heathrow and Hong Kong – Heathrow routes. In December 2009, Air New Zealand announced a new Sydney – Rarotonga service to attract more Australians. Air New Zealand will be the only airline to operate direct services between the two nations. Previously, passengers from Australia had to transfer in Auckland to a connecting flight to Rarotonga. Currently, Air New Zealand already operates out of Rarotonga to Auckland and Los Angeles.
Codeshare agreements
As of April 2011, Air New Zealand has codeshare agreements with Star AllianceStar Alliance
Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines...
airlines and the following airlines:
|
Air Tahiti Nui Air Tahiti Nui is French Polynesia's flag carrier airline with its head office in the Immueble Dexter in Papeete, Tahiti. It operates international services for the low and high-end leisure travel markets. Its main base is Faa'a International Airport, Papeete.- History :Air Tahiti Nui was... Air Vanuatu Air Vanuatu is an airline with its head office in the Air Vanuatu House, Port Vila, Vanuatu. It is Vanuatu's national flag carrier, operating to Australia, New Zealand and points in the South Pacific... Etihad Airways Etihad Airways is the flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates. Established in July 2003 and based at Abu Dhabi International Airport, Etihad commenced operations in November 2003.... |
Japan Airlines is an airline headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. It is the flag carrier of Japan and its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Tokyo International Airport , as well as Nagoya's Chūbu Centrair International Airport and Osaka's Kansai International Airport... Virgin Atlantic Airways Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited is a British airline owned by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and Singapore Airlines... |
Fleet
Air New Zealand's main fleet consists of BoeingBoeing Commercial Airplanes
Boeing Commercial Airplanes designs, assembles, markets and sells large commercial jet aircraft and provides product-related maintenance and training to customers worldwide...
jet aircraft for long-haul flights, and Boeing
Boeing Commercial Airplanes
Boeing Commercial Airplanes designs, assembles, markets and sells large commercial jet aircraft and provides product-related maintenance and training to customers worldwide...
and Airbus
Airbus
Airbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
aircraft for domestic and short-haul international flights. Air New Zealand's subsidiaries operate various makes of turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
aircraft.
The majority of the airline's main fleet is made up of short-haul jet aircraft in the form of Boeing 737-300
Boeing 737 Classic
The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new...
s and Airbus A320-200s. The fifteen 737-300s are used on domestic routes between the major airports (Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Queenstown), and also fly on routes to Niue in the Pacific. The fleet also includes the last 737-300 built, ZK-NGJ, which was delivered to Air New Zealand in December 1999. The twelve A320-200s are used on short-haul international routes to Australia and the Pacific Islands, and are used on all international services to and from New Zealand airports other than Auckland and Christchurch.
The international long-haul fleet consists of Boeing 767-300ER
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...
, Boeing 777-200ER
Boeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
, Boeing 777-300ER
Boeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
and Boeing 747-400
Boeing 747-400
The Boeing 747-400 is a major development and the best-selling model of the Boeing 747 family of jet airliners. While retaining the four-engine wide-body layout of its predecessors, the 747-400 embodies numerous technological and structural changes to produce a more efficient airframe...
jet aircraft. The five Boeing 767 aircraft operate routes to many outer Pacific Islands, Honolulu and Los Angeles, Osaka, and some flights to Australia including all those to Perth. They all have recently been retrofitted with winglets to increase fuel economy. The eight 777-200ER aircraft operate on the majority of the long-haul routes, including Asia, North America, London via Hong Kong, and some Pacific Islands. The three current 777-300ER aircraft service London via Los Angeles and Australia. The remaining fleet of six 747-400 aircraft operate daily to San Francisco, and occasionally to Vancouver and Australia. Two of these will be retired in 2011 and a further two in 2012 leaving a long term 747-400 fleet size of two.
For regional domestic services, three makes of turboprop aircraft are used, each make belonging to a single subsidiary. Mount Cook Airline operates eleven ATR 72-500
ATR 72
The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop short-haul regional airliner built by the French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR. ATR and Airbus are both built in Toulouse, and share resources and technology...
aircraft between major centres, such as Hamilton, Palmerston North, Rotorua, Tauranga, Napier, and Invercargill. The 23 Air Nelson-operated Bombardier Q300 operate mainly on major routes alongside Mount Cook Airline, including to some smaller centres. Eagle Airways' eighteen Beechcraft 1900
Beechcraft 1900
The Beechcraft 1900 is a 19-passenger, pressurized twin-engine turboprop airplane manufactured by the Beechcraft Division of the Raytheon Company . It was designed, and is primarily used, as a regional airliner...
D operate on minor routes between smaller urban areas.
The Boeing customer code for Air New Zealand is 19, which was sequestered from the National Airways Corporation on its merger with Air New Zealand in 1978 (Air New Zealand itself didn't own any Boeing aircraft before 1978). All Boeing aircraft built for Air New Zealand are designated with the customer code, so a Boeing 777-200ER built for Air New Zealand is designated a 777-219ER.
Current fleet
| Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Options | Passengers | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | P | S | Y | Total | |||||
| Airbus A320-200 Airbus A320 family The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001... |
15 | 12 | 31 | — | — | — | 168 | 168 | |
| — | — | — | 171 | 171 | |||||
| Boeing 737-300 Boeing 737 Classic The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new... |
15 | — | — | — | — | — | 133 | 133 | To be retired 2011-2016. Replacement: Airbus A320-200 |
| Boeing 747-400 Boeing 747-400 The Boeing 747-400 is a major development and the best-selling model of the Boeing 747 family of jet airliners. While retaining the four-engine wide-body layout of its predecessors, the 747-400 embodies numerous technological and structural changes to produce a more efficient airframe... |
4 | — | — | 46 | 39 | — | 294 | 379 | 2 are to be replaced from 2011-2012 by the Boeing 777-300ER. |
| Boeing 767-300ER Boeing 767 The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail... |
5 | — | — | 24 | — | — | 206 | 230 | Eventually to be replaced by Boeing 787-9. |
| Boeing 777-200ER Boeing 777 The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model... |
8 | — | 9 | 26 | 36 | — | 242 | 304 | long-haul cabin |
| Boeing 777-300ER Boeing 777 The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model... |
4 | 1 | 15 | 44 | 44 | 60 | 184 | 332 | Replacing 2 747-400s from 2011-2012. |
| Boeing 787-9 Boeing 787 The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a long-range, mid-size wide-body, twin-engine jet airliner developed by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It seats 210 to 290 passengers, depending on the variant. Boeing states that it is the company's most fuel-efficient airliner and the world's first major airliner to use... |
— | 8 | 12 | Launch customer for 787-9 model. | |||||
| Total | 51 | 21 | 67 | ||||||
Notes: On Tasman and Pacific flights, seats 07E through 15E are reserved Works Deluxe empty seats for . SkyCouches consists of three economy seats that come together to form one couch. There are 60 economy seats on the 777-300ER coming together to form 20 couches. Aircraft options
Future fleet plans
Air New Zealand announced on 3 November 2009 that it would replace its aging Boeing 737-300 fleet with fourteen new Airbus A320-200 aircraft, with optionsOption (aircraft purchasing)
An option, when purchasing aircraft, allows an airline to purchase additional aircraft in the future at an agreed price and date.When placing orders for new aircraft, airlines commonly obtain options from the aircraft manufacturer, for example Airbus or Boeing...
on eleven more A320s and/or larger A321s
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
. The new aircraft, seating 171 passengers and powered by IAE V2500 engines, will take over the domestic routes operated by the 737-300 and are expected to be introduced from February 2011. Air New Zealand chose the A320 over the rival Boeing 737-800
Boeing 737 Next Generation
The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as Boeing 737NG, is the name given to the -600/-700/-800/-900 series of the Boeing 737 after the introduction of the -300/-400/-500 Classic series. They are short- to medium-range, narrow-body jet airliners...
on grounds of better fuel economy, lower pricing in purchasing, and lower running costs (due to the commonality with the airline's existing A320 short-haul international fleet).
Air New Zealand will also be the launch airline for the new "sharklet" winglets that are due to be added to the Airbus A320 family in 2012, decreasing fuel burn by 3.5 percent and cutting carbon emissions.
The airline has ordered five Boeing 777-300ER
Boeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
aircraft to replace its older Boeing 747-400s, with options on two more. The first aircraft, ZK-OKM, completed its maiden flight on 8 November 2010, and was handed over to Air New Zealand at Boeing's Everett, Washington
Everett, Washington
Everett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Named for Everett Colby, son of founder Charles L. Colby, it lies north of Seattle. The city had a total population of 103,019 at the 2010 census, making it the 6th largest in the state and...
plant on 22 December 2010.
Air NZ has placed a $340 million order for 7 ATR-600s and 5 options to arrive from October 2012 these will be based in Auckland.
Dreamliner frustrations
Air New Zealand, in 2004, ordered eight Boeing 787-9s as the launch customer for the 787-9 model, with options on eight more. These were to be delivered beginning in late 2010. Boeing has suffered long development delays due to the many pioneering construction and fabrication techniques. The first aircraft are tentatively expected to be delivered in the first middle half of 2014, replacing the Boeing 767-300ER aircraft. As launch customer for the 787-9, Air New Zealand is seeking compensation for these delays. Boeing has since given the airline discounts on the 777-300ER models it is now placing into service. Boeing has also given generous lease terms on four 777-200ER types that the airline has had to retain because of the Dreamliner delays. Air New Zealand is still standing by the 787-9 as launch customer and it has also been approached as the 787-10 launch customer to take on the Airbus A350Airbus A350
The Airbus A350 is a family of long-range, wide-body jet airliners under development by European aircraft manufacturer Airbus.A consortium originally comprising European aerospace companies from the UK, France, Spain and West Germany, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known...
, a type that Airbus has wooed Air New Zealand with back to buying that company's products.
Interim Ultra Long Range 777
Air New Zealand has signalled its intentions to start operating new point to point destinations originally intended for the 787-9 as early as 2012. The new routes include Mumbai, São Paulo, and New York. The only airliner capable of opening these routes is the Boeing 777-200LR Worldliner. Air New Zealand is in negotiations with Boeing for lease terms to operate the airliner as an interim type until the much delayed 787-9 is delivered, which now could be in late 2014.Historic fleet
In the past, Air New Zealand and its subsidiaries have flown the following aircraft. It does not include aircraft solely operated by TEAL and NAC.The following timeline shows the type operated, year, and fleet size (number of aircraft).
| 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fokker F27 Friendship 1978–1990 (24; 17 ex-NAC) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boeing 737-200 Boeing 737 The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers... 1978–2001 (24; 8 ex-NAC) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lockheed L-188 Electra Lockheed L-188 Electra The Lockheed Model 188 Electra is an American turboprop airliner built by Lockheed. First flying in 1957, it was the first large turboprop airliner produced in the United States. Initial sales were good, but after two fatal crashes which prompted an expensive modification program to fix a design... 1965–1972 (5 ex-TEAL) |
Boeing 737-300 Boeing 737 Classic The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new... 1998–present (20) |
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| Airbus A320-200 Airbus A320 family The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001... 2003–present (15) |
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| Douglas DC-8-52 Douglas DC-8 The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company... 1965–1981 (7) |
Boeing 767-200ER Boeing 767 The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail... 1985–2005 (9) |
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| Boeing 767-300ER Boeing 767 The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail... 1991–present (11) |
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| McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 McDonnell Douglas DC-10 The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is a three-engine widebody jet airliner manufactured by McDonnell Douglas. The DC-10 has range for medium- to long-haul flights, capable of carrying a maximum 380 passengers. Its most distinguishing feature is the two turbofan engines mounted on underwing pylons and a... 1973–1982 (8) |
Boeing 777-200ER Boeing 777 The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model... 2005–present (8) |
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| Boeing 747-200 Boeing 747 The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced... 1981–2000 (6) |
B777-300ER Boeing 777 The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model... 2010– (4) |
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| Boeing 747-400 Boeing 747-400 The Boeing 747-400 is a major development and the best-selling model of the Boeing 747 family of jet airliners. While retaining the four-engine wide-body layout of its predecessors, the 747-400 embodies numerous technological and structural changes to produce a more efficient airframe... 1990–present (8) |
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| Douglas DC-8-54F Douglas DC-8 The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company... 1982–1989 (1) |
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| Aircraft model | Total aircraft | First delivery | Last flight | Disposition | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawker Siddeley HS 748 | 1 | Chartered from Mount Cook Airline, CHC – IVC route 1991–94, | |||
| Boeing 757-200 Boeing 757 The Boeing 757 is a mid-size, narrow-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the twinjet have a capacity of 186 to 289 persons and a maximum range of , depending on variant and cabin configuration... |
1 | Leased from Britannia during the 1994 737-200 groundings, | |||
| BAe 146-200 | 1 | inherited from the collapse of Ansett New Zealand Ansett New Zealand Ansett New Zealand was a wholly owned airline subsidiary of Ansett Australia, serving the New Zealand domestic market between 1987 and 2000. In order to comply with regulatory requirements relating to the acquisition of Ansett Australia by Air New Zealand, Ansett New Zealand was sold to News... |
|||
| BAe 146-300 | 7 | inherited from the collapse of AnsettNZ/QantasNZ | |||
| Saab 340 Saab 340 The Saab 340 is a discontinued Swedish two-engine turboprop aircraft designed and initially produced by a partnership between Saab and Fairchild Aircraft in a 65:35 ratio... |
17 | ||||
| Fairchild Metroliner Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner The Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner or the Fairchild Aerospace Metro is a 19-seat, pressurised, twin turboprop airliner first produced by Swearingen Aircraft and later by Fairchild at a plant in San Antonio, Texas, United States.... |
14 | ||||
| Embraer Embraer Embraer S.A. is a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate that produces commercial, military, and executive aircraft and provides aeronautical services.... Bandeirante Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante The Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante is a general purpose 15-21 passenger twin-turboprop light transport aircraft suitable for military and civil duties... |
16 | ||||
| ATR ATR 72-212 | 8 |
Long-haul international
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
, Boeing 767-300ER
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...
, Boeing 777-200ER
Boeing 777
The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model...
and Boeing 747-400
Boeing 747-400
The Boeing 747-400 is a major development and the best-selling model of the Boeing 747 family of jet airliners. While retaining the four-engine wide-body layout of its predecessors, the 747-400 embodies numerous technological and structural changes to produce a more efficient airframe...
aircraft is equipped with a personal LCD screen with audio video on demand (AVOD). First class was removed, with an upgraded business class and a new premium economy section installed.
In January 2010, Air New Zealand released details of their new "Kupe" long-haul product for their new 777-300ER aircraft for delivery later that year, as well as on their future 787-9 aircraft and their existing 777-200 aircraft. Changes included an improved Business Premier and Economy class product, a new Premium Economy cabin, and the introduction of the Economy SkyCouch.
Business Premier
Business Premier is the highest available class on Air New Zealand flights, available on both of the 777s and the 747. The seating is configured in a herringbone layoutHerringbone seating
A Herringbone seating arrangement describes the positioning of seats partially and equally askew in one direction. As the name suggests, the arrangement of the seats looks very similar to the skeleton of a fish, and has been called "fish-bone seats" in a few languages.The term is derived from the...
in a 1-2-1 configuration (1-1 on the upper deck of the 747), allowing direct access for every passenger to an aisle. Each seat is 22 inches (55.9 cm) wide leather and comes with an ottoman
Ottoman (furniture)
An ottoman is a piece of furniture consisting of a padded, upholstered seat or bench having neither back nor arms, often used as a stool or footstool, or in some cases as an improvised coffee table. Ottomans are often sold as coordinating furniture with armchairs or gliders.An ottoman can also be...
footrest that doubles as a visitor seat. The seat converts to a full length (79.5 in (201.9 cm)) lie-flat bed, for which a pillow, duvet and sheet are provided.
Each seat comes with a large tray table, multiple stowage bins, a cocktail tray, a bottle holder, in-seat power, three reading lights, and an AVOD system with a 10.4-inch monitor. On the 777-300ER, each seat also has USB
Universal Serial Bus
USB is an industry standard developed in the mid-1990s that defines the cables, connectors and protocols used in a bus for connection, communication and power supply between computers and electronic devices....
and iPod
IPod
iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
connectivity, and a larger 12.1-inch touchscreen monitor.
Business
The 767 is equipped with standard recliner business class seats due to its inability to take the Business Premier seat. Seating is in a 2-2-2 configuration, with a 15-inch recline. Each seat is fitted with a standard legrest and footrest, USB, iPod and power connectivity, and a 10.6-inch touchscreen AVOD system.Pacific Premium Economy
Pacific Premium Economy is in a dedicated cabin, which shares lavatories with the Business Premier cabin, available only on the Boeing 747-400 and Boeing 777-200ER. The class has the same mood lighting, dining and wine selection and in-seat power as the Business Premier cabin. On the 747-400 the seats are wider than Pacific Class, while on the 777-200ER the seat width is the same as in Economy but with greater pitch; all seats have more legroom than standard Economy. Following positive reviews and high demand after its introduction, Air New Zealand re-launched its Pacific Premium cabin with added business class services, including priority check-in, priority baggage handling and the same baggage allowance as Business Premier (priority baggage handling and extra baggage allowance do not apply for passengers with connecting flights to other airlines). Seat pitch is approximately 41 in (104.1 cm).Premium Economy Spaceseat
Air New Zealand's new Premium Economy Spaceseat will initially be available only on the 777-300ER, although the airline's eight existing 777-200ERs will undergo a refit for the new cabins from mid-2011.Designed by Air New Zealand in consultation with US design studio IDEO
IDEO
IDEO is an international design and innovation consultancy founded in Palo Alto, California, United States with other locations in San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Boston, London, Munich, Shanghai, and Singapore, as well as Mumbai, Seoul, and Tokyo. The company helps design products, services,...
, the new Premium Economy cabin uses a 2-2-2 seating configuration. The central pair of Spaceseats are slightly angled for those travelling with a colleague or partner, and the two arm rests can form a single table for shared in-flight dining. The pairs of outboard Spaceseats on either side are angled to enhance privacy for solo flyers. The seats are built around a hard shell so the passenger in front cannot recline into the space of the person sitting behind. Instead, the seat slides forward and angles up as it reclines into the shell, similar to an armchair.
Pacific Economy
Pacific Economy is available on all aircraft, in a 2-3-2 configuration on the 767, a 3-3-3 configuration on the 777-200ER, and a 3-4-3 configuration on the 747 and 777-300ER. The seats have a pitch of 31 to 34 in (78.7 to 86.4 ), have a 6-inch recline, and have a flexible edge seat base to provide more leg support when reclined. Each seat has its own AVOD entertainment system, with a 8.4-inch screen on the 777-200ER and 747, a 9-inch screen on the 767, and a 10.6-inch touchscreen on the 777-300ER.On the 777-300ER, economy seats also have USB, iPod and power connections, a cup-holder and trinket tray, and a headrest designed to allow a special sleep pillow to attach to it, preventing it from slipping downwards during sleep.
Economy SkyCouch
The Economy SkyCouch is presently only available on the 777-300ER. It is a set of three Economy class seats on the outside of the cabin that have armrests that retract into the seat back, and full leg rests that individually and electronically come out 90 degrees to form a flat surface extending to the back of the seats in front. It is largely designed for families for use as a flat play surface, and for couples, who on purchasing the middle seat for 25% more each, can use it as a flat sleeping surface. Each SkyCouch seat is equipped with the same basic facilities as a standard 777-300ER Pacific Economy seat, including a 10.6-inch touchscreen AVOD system.The SkyCouch has earned the nickname "cuddle class" by media reporting on the new innovative seating, from the ability for couples to curl up and "cuddle" together on the 30 by 55 in (76.2 by 139.7 cm) flat surface. Concerns were raised almost immediately over if the couch could potentially be a new place to join the mile high club
Mile High Club
The Mile High Club is a slang term applied collectively to individuals who have sex while on board an aircraft in flight. There is no known formally constituted club so named...
. Air New Zealand responded that public displays of affection of that level would not be tolerated in its aircraft. The airline even went to release a billboard advertisement entitled "The Economy SkyCouch activity guide", suggesting "spoons
Hug
A hug is a form of physical intimacy, that usually involves closing or holding the arms around the neck, back, or waist of another person; if more than two persons are involved, this is referred to as a group hug. A hug, sometimes in association with a kiss, eye contact or other gestures, is a...
" were allowed, but "forks
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
" were not.
In-flight entertainment and magazine
Air New Zealand offers audio video on demand in all classes on international services on its 747-400, 777-200ER, 767-300ER, and A320-200 aircraft. The first AVOD system, introduced on all its 747s and 777s, was manufactured by Rockwell CollinsRockwell Collins
Rockwell Collins, Inc. is a large United States-based international company headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, primarily providing aviation and information technology systems and services to governmental agencies and aircraft manufacturers.- History :...
. The later systems, enhanced with a touch-screen functionality, were manufactured by Panasonic Avionics Corporation
Panasonic Avionics Corporation
Panasonic Avionics Corporation is a subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation and is headquartered in Lake Forest, California with major business functions also shared with the former headquarters located in Bothell, WA.Established in 1980, the product engineering and development departments are...
.
The AVOD system, branded KiaOra, features multiple channels of video, audio, music, and games. Passengers can start and stop programs, plus rewind and fast-forward as desired. Recently, Air New Zealand has introduced a gate-to-gate in-flight entertainment
In-flight Entertainment
In-flight entertainment refers to the entertainment available to aircraft passengers during a flight. In 1936, the airship Hindenburg offered passengers a piano, lounge, dining room, smoking room, and bar during the 2½ day flight between Europe and America...
experience. Passengers can start their entertainment as soon as they board the plane, and continue until they arrive at the gate of their destination, maximizing play time, which is especially useful for its short-haul Tasman and Pacific Island flights. Gate-to-gate in-flight entertainment is not available on certain seats in economy (such as the bulkhead and emergency exit row seats), and on all Business Class seats on its 767s as they use fold-out PTV.
AVOD screen size varies:
- Business Premier: 10.4 in (26.4 cm)
- Pacific Premium Economy: 8.4 in (21.3 cm)
- Pacific Economy: 8.4 in (21.3 cm)
KiaOra, the airline's in-flight magazine, was removed from international flights from March 2009. It is now only on-board on all the domestic services. As a guide on international services, there is now a brief publication named Entertainment Magazine detailing the entertainment available on the flight.
Inflight concierge
Air New Zealand have in-flight conciergeConcierge
A concierge is an employee who either works in shifts within, or lives on the premises of an apartment building or a hotel and serves guests with duties similar to those of a butler. The position can also be maintained by a security officer over the 'graveyard' shift. A similar position, known as...
staff on selected long-haul international flights, whose function is to advise passengers personally on travel advice, onward bookings, and other services relating to their travel itinerary. The service is available on routes between Auckland and Vancouver, San Francisco and Los Angeles as well as from Los Angeles to London Heathrow and is available to all passengers on board.
Tasman and Pacific
In 2010, Air New Zealand replaced its cabin and service on short-haul international routes to Australia ("Tasman") and the Pacific Island ("Pacific") with a new "Seats to Suit" service. Initially introduced on the Christchurch-Sydney route from 18 August 2010, the new service was to start on all routes on 17 November 2010. All international Airbus A320 aircraft are being refitted with an all-economy cabin that supports four options of service. On A320 aircraft still to be refitted, and on 767/777/747 aircraft, business class is also available.There are four options, building on each other:
- Seat – the basic option, consisting of a seat, one cabin bag up to 7 kg, tea, coffee and water, and AVOD entertainment including TV shows, music and games.
- Seat + Bag – the Seat option plus one checked bag up to 23 kg.
- Works – the Seat + Bag option plus movies included on AVOD entertainment, an in-flight meal, non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks, and the ability to request a specific seat. Children receive a kids activity pack. This option is identical to the previous Economy option.
- Works Deluxe – the Works option plus priority check-in and baggage, and extra checked bag up to 23 kg, lounge access (where available), and a guaranteed empty middle seat beside them.
The AVOD system consists of a 8.4-inch screen. In addition, the AVOD screens allow ordering of drinks and snacks to be delivered to their seat by the cabin crew. Works and Works Deluxe passengers get complimentary drinks after their meal, while drinks for Seat and Seat+Bag passengers, and snacks for all passengers are available for purchase using a credit card or a voucher purchased at the airport prior to boarding.
Airpoints Gold and Gold Elite are entitled to an additional carry-on bag up to 7 kg on all options. Airpoints Gold, Gold Elite and Koru members are entitled to an additional checked bag up to 23 kg on all options except Seat.
Domestic
Air New Zealand domestic services are operated in a single class all-economy configuration. Seating forward of the over-wing emergency exits on 737 and A320 aircraft are Space+ seats, with a larger pitch between seats, but otherwise are effectively economy seats.Domestic flights operate on two fare schedules – Saver and Flexi. Saver is non-refundable and allows one checked bag up to 23 kg. Flexi is fully refundable and allows two checked bags up to 23 kg each. Flexi passengers, along with Airpoints and Koru members, get priority over the Space+ seating.
With the exception of Eagle Airways Beech 1900D flights, which do not have a flight attendant, all domestic passengers are offered tea, coffee or water. Passengers on turboprop aircraft are also offered a biscuit, while those on 737 and A320 flights are offered a choice of snacks, including vege crisps, muesli bars, and biscuits. Hard lollies are handed out to passengers on the descent. On flights before 9am on 737 and A320 aircraft, muesli and muffins are offered, as well as morning newspapers (The New Zealand Herald
The New Zealand Herald
- External links :* * *...
, The Dominion Post
The Dominion Post (Wellington)
The Dominion Post is a metropolitan broadsheet newspaper published in Wellington, New Zealand, owned by the Australian Fairfax group, owners of The Age, Melbourne, and The Sydney Morning Herald.- Foundation :...
, The Press
The Press
The Press is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is owned by Fairfax Media.- History :The Press was first published on 25 May 1861 from a small cottage in Montreal Street, making it the oldest surviving newspaper in the South Island of New Zealand. The first...
or Otago Daily Times
Otago Daily Times
The Otago Daily Times is a newspaper published by Allied Press Ltd in Dunedin, New Zealand.-History:Originally styled The Otago Daily Times, the ODT was first published on November 15, 1861. It is New Zealand's oldest surviving daily newspaper - Christchurch's The Press, six months older, was a...
, depending on the aircraft's origin), and on flights between 4:30pm and 7:00pm, beer and wine are offered to passengers (provided they are 18 years or over), as well as Lemon & Paeroa
Lemon & Paeroa
Lemon & Paeroa, also known as L&P, is a sweet soft drink manufactured in New Zealand. Traditionally made by combining lemon juice with carbonated mineral water from the town of Paeroa, it is now manufactured by multi-national Coca-Cola....
, cheese, crackers and grapes, and bagel crisps and hummus.
Koru Lounge & Koru Club
The Koru Lounge is the name for Air New Zealand's network of airline lounges around the world. Members of Air New Zealand Koru Club may access the lounges, and also get valet parking, priority wait listing, exclusive check-in, extra checked in baggage, and preferred seating.Check-in kiosks
Check-in kiosks were launched in October 2008 at Auckland Domestic terminal. Users use a bar code issued on-line or via mobile or PDA to scan for checking in. Most business day travellers can go straight through to their departure gate if not checking in bags. Wellington and Christchurch were equipped in late November 2008 while the larger provincial cities were retrofitted with a smaller system. Smaller destinations received an ATM sized machine (for the Beech 1900D network). The kiosks are manufactured by IER, a subsidiary of BolloréBolloré
Bolloré is a French investment and industrial holding group headquartered in Puteaux, on the western outskirts of Paris, France. The company, a paper-energy-plantations-logistics conglomerate, employs 28,000 people around the world....
.
The proportion of Air New Zealand’s passengers using self-service check-in is increasing. Following the launch of its domestic product, the airline reached its 80% self-service target three days after going live. That has continued to grow to the stage that the number of full-service customers travelling within its domestic network has reduced to a trickle. The self-service kiosks are now also available for travel out of the Auckland International terminal on trans-Tasman services only, allowing passengers to self check-in with baggage.
Airpoints
Airpoints is Air New Zealand's frequent-flyer programme. Members earn Airpoints Dollars, which they can redeem at face value on any fare on Air New Zealand ticketed and operated flights. Members are assigned a tier status, with increasing privileges ranging from Jade, Silver to Gold, then Gold Elite, by accumulating their Status Points which are earned separately from Airpoints Dollars. Becoming an Airpoints Gold and Airpoints Gold Elite would have the same recognition as a Star AllianceStar Alliance
Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines...
Gold status and benefits across the Star Alliance network. The same goes for the Airpoints Silver and Star Alliance Silver, but with fewer benefits. There is a joining fee of NZ$50, which is waived if the person can prove they have already flown Business Class by Air New Zealand.
Airpoints members now will receive Status Points for almost every Air New Zealand flight, as well as many other flights with its Star Alliance partners. Status Points enable members to reach a higher status faster. Status Points will still be granted even on discount fares (such as Smart Saver and grabaseat fares) that normally do not earn Airpoints Dollars.
Nothing to Hide campaign
On 10 May 2009, Air New Zealand launched a TV advertising campaign, Nothing to hide.The campaign featured more than ninety Air New Zealand staff, eight of whom were chosen for starring roles and who swapped their real uniforms for a body painted version. Chief Executive Officer Rob Fyfe made a cameo appearance in full body-paint.
The campaign was designed to differentiate Air New Zealand from low-cost competitors who levy additional charges if a passenger wants to check a bag or have a drink. Air New Zealand have airfares that include baggage allowances and refreshments.
The TV commercial was accompanied by a new in-flight safety video using the same theme. The safety video, titled Bare Essentials, is shown on all Boeing 737-300-operated flights. It features a pilot and four cabin staff. Another version was released later, this time for the Airbus A320.
The TV ad and in-flight safety video both use the track "Under My Skin" by New Zealand singer Gin Wigmore
Gin Wigmore
Virginia "Gin" Wigmore is a New Zealand singer-songwriter. In 2009, she featured on the single "Brother" by Smashproof, which reached #1 on the RIANZ singles charts for 11 weeks. In 2009 she released her debut album Holy Smoke...
.
Both videos can be viewed on the campaign website Nothing To Hide, complete with bloopers and behind the scenes. On YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
the TV commercial has attracted almost 4 million views and the in-flight safety video gathered over 4.5 million. The campaign has been reported by international networks such as CNN and the BBC.
In late 2009 Air New Zealand started to put up billboard ads where a body painted staff member was walking into a carwash or ready to go down a water slide or even ready to jump off a diving board.
Incidents and accidents
As of June 2010, Air New Zealand and its subsidiaries have been involved in over ten incidents and accidents, including 5 hull loss accidents.- On 4 July 1966, an Air New Zealand Douglas DC-8 on a training flight crashed on the runway shortly after taking off, killing two of the five crew (no passengers were on board).
- On 22 December 1978 a small plane became lost over the Pacific and Air New Zealand Flight 103Air New Zealand Flight 103On December 22, 1978, a small Cessna aircraft, piloted by Jay Prochnow, became lost in the Pacific Ocean . The only craft in the area that was able to assist was a commercial Air New Zealand flight...
had to search for it and successfully found it. The captain then released a thin stream of fuel out of the DC10's fuel dump tube creating a ten mile long vapour trail for the small plane to follow in the direction of Auckland.
- On 17 February 1979, an Air New Zealand Fokker Friendship crashed into Manukau Harbour while on final approach. One of the crew and one company staff member were killed.
- On 28 November 1979, Air New Zealand Flight 901Air New Zealand Flight 901Air New Zealand Flight 901 was a scheduled Air New Zealand Antarctic sightseeing flight that operated between 1977 and 1979, from Auckland Airport to Antarctica and return via Christchurch...
, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30-operated sightseeing flight over Antarctica, collided with Mount ErebusMount ErebusMount Erebus in Antarctica is the southernmost historically active volcano on Earth, the second highest volcano in Antarctica , and the 6th highest ultra mountain on an island. With a summit elevation of , it is located on Ross Island, which is also home to three inactive volcanoes, notably Mount...
on Ross IslandRoss IslandRoss Island is an island formed by four volcanoes in the Ross Sea near the continent of Antarctica, off the coast of Victoria Land in McMurdo Sound.-Geography:...
, killing all 257 people on board. An unannounced change in flight path coordinates by the airline's navigational division the morning of the accident, combined with unique Antarctic weather and conditions, resulted in the aircraft crashing into Mount Erebus when the flight crew thought they were flying down McMurdo SoundMcMurdo SoundThe ice-clogged waters of Antarctica's McMurdo Sound extend about 55 km long and wide. The sound opens into the Ross Sea to the north. The Royal Society Range rises from sea level to 13,205 feet on the western shoreline. The nearby McMurdo Ice Shelf scribes McMurdo Sound's southern boundary...
. The crash and subsequent inquiry resulted in major changes in Air New Zealand's management.
- On 19 May 1987, during the first of FijiFijiFiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
's coups d'état that year, Air New Zealand Flight 24, a Boeing 747-200-operated flight from Tokyo Narita to Auckland via Nadi, was hijacked at Nadi International AirportNadi International AirportNadi International Airport is the main international gateway for the islands of Fiji. It serves about 1.2 million people per year, and is the main hub of Air Pacific. The airport is 10km from the city of Nadi. In 2009 it handled 1,220,000 passengers on international and domestic...
. Staff members of the local ground handling crew stormed the plane, and held three flight crew hostage for six hours before the incident was resolved. Air New Zealand subsequently suspended all of its services to/through Nadi for seven months.
- On 29 March 1995, NZ2337 from Hamilton to New Plymouth operated by a Kiwi West Aviation Beech Queen Air B80 Excalibur for Air New Zealand crashed 13 minutes after take-off killing all six on board. The plane stalled and spun after both engines failed due to fuel starvationFuel StarvationFuel starvation and fuel exhaustion are problems that can affect internal combustion engines fuelled by either diesel, kerosene, petroleum or any other combustible liquid or gas. If no fuel is available for an engine to burn, it cannot function...
.
- On 30 August 2002, Air New Zealand Flight 2, a Boeing 747-400-operated flight from Auckland to London Heathrow via Los Angeles, lost a two-metre section of its right inboard trailing-edge flap just after take-off. Dismissing the bumps as wake turbulence, the crew only realised the missing flap 12 hours later on the approach to Los Angeles. The aircraft landed safely with no injuries. The separation was caused by a fatigue fracture of one of the links attaching the flap to the wing.
- On 18 June 2007, Air New Zealand/Eagle Airways Flight 2300, a Beechcraft 1900D-operated flight from Timaru to Wellington, was diverted to Woodbourne Aerodrome near Blenheim after the landing gear failed to deploy on the approach to Wellington. The aircraft landed on its belly, causing extensive but repairable damage to the aircraft. None of the 17 people on board were injured. The cause was the hydraulic system being drained via a fatigue crack in the hydraulic actuator for the right main landing gear, resulting in the gear being stuck in the retracted position.
- On 8 February 2008, a woman attempted to hijack Air New Zealand Flight 2279Eagle Airways Flight 2279Eagle Airways Flight 2279 was a commuter flight operated by Air National on behalf of Eagle Airways, a regional carrier division of Air New Zealand...
from BlenheimBlenheim, New ZealandBlenheim is the most populous town in the region of Marlborough, in the north east of the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the regional council. It has a population of The area which surrounds the town is well known as a centre of New Zealand's wine industry...
to ChristchurchChristchurchChristchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
. Though this was actually an Air National J32 on charter to replace the normal Eagle aircraft. The woman threatened Air New Zealand staff, stating she had a bomb on board. Both pilots and one passenger suffered stab injuries. The aircraft landed safely and the woman was arrested. There were no injuries to the other passengers on board.
Outsourcing maintenance
On 19 October 2005, Air New Zealand proposed outsourcing most of its heavy maintenance on its long-haul aircraft and engines, which would result in about 600 job losses, mostly in Auckland. Air New Zealand said that there are larger maintenance providers who can provide maintenance work cheaply due to their large scale. The proposal was estimated to save $100 million over five years and came after many attempts to attract contracts to service other airlines' longhaul aircraft.Eventually, a union proposal to save some of the remaining jobs was accepted. The proposal included shift and pay changes (most of them pay-cuts) which would allow about 300 engineers in Auckland to keep their jobs. 200 were made redundant or resigned.
Minor seating policy
In November 2005, it was revealed that Air New Zealand (along with QantasQantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
& British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
) has a policy of not seating adult male passengers next to unaccompanied children. The policy came to light following an incident in 2004 when Mark Wolsay, who was seated next to a young boy on a Qantas flight in New Zealand, was asked to change seats with a female passenger. A steward informed him that "it was the airline's policy that only women were allowed to sit next to unaccompanied children". Air New Zealand later said it had a similar policy to Qantas, attracting widespread criticism
Qantas code-share
On 12 April 2006, Air New Zealand and QantasQantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
announced that they had signed a code-share agreement for their trans-Tasman routes and would file for authorisation from the New Zealand Ministry of Transport and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. The airlines maintained that they were making losses on Tasman routes due to too many empty seats, and that a codeshare would return the routes to profitability. Critics, particularly Wellington International Airport
Wellington International Airport
Wellington International Airport is an international airport located in the suburb of Rongotai in Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. It is a secondary hub and focus city for Air New Zealand and its subsidiaries...
and Melbourne Airport
Melbourne Airport
Melbourne Airport , also known as Tullamarine Airport, is the primary airport serving the city of Melbourne and the second busiest in Australia. It was opened in 1970 to replace the nearby Essendon Airport. Melbourne Airport is the sole international airport of the four airports serving the...
, argued that the codeshare would lead to reduced passenger choice and higher airfares, and that the airlines were exploiting an effective duopoly on the Tasman routes.
On 15 November 2006 Air New Zealand announced it was withdrawing its application after a draft decision by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to not approve the code-sharing agreement.
'Dear Listener' campaign
In May 2010, the New Zealand ListenerNew Zealand Listener
The New Zealand Listener is a New Zealand magazine. First published in 1939 and edited by Oliver Duff and the Monte Holcroft it originally had a monopoly on the publication of of upcoming television and radio programmes. In the 1980s it lost its monopoly on the publication of upcoming television...
magazine had put an article on the Air New Zealand – Virgin Blue trans-Tasman alliance that suggested that due to budget constraints, Air New Zealand would be downgrading its services into a no-frills airline. Air New Zealand subsequently published their responses in sign language advertisements in various newspapers, including The Dominion Post
The Dominion Post (Wellington)
The Dominion Post is a metropolitan broadsheet newspaper published in Wellington, New Zealand, owned by the Australian Fairfax group, owners of The Age, Melbourne, and The Sydney Morning Herald.- Foundation :...
, and posted the translation on a website, http://www.dearlistener.co.nz.
Alternative propulsion
In the effort to develop an aviation biofuelAviation biofuel
Aviation biofuel is a biofuel used for aircraft. Aviation biofuel is widely considered by the aviation industry to be one of the primary means by which the industry can reduce its carbon footprint. After a multi-year technical review from aircraft makers, engine manufacturers and oil companies,...
, Air New Zealand and Boeing researched the jatropha
Jatropha
Jatropha is a genus of approximately 175 succulent plants, shrubs and trees , from the family Euphorbiaceae. The name is derived from the Greek words ἰατρός , meaning "physician," and τροφή , meaning "nutrition," hence the common name physic nut. Mature plants produce separate male and female...
plant to see if it was a viable green alternative to conventional fuel. A two-hour test flight using a 50-50 mixture of the new biofuel with Jet A-1
Jet fuel
Jet fuel is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in aircraft powered by gas-turbine engines. It is clear to straw-colored in appearance. The most commonly used fuels for commercial aviation are Jet A and Jet A-1 which are produced to a standardized international specification...
in the number one position Rolls Royce RB-211 engine of 747-400 ZK-NBS, was completed on 30 December 2008. The engine was then removed to be scrutinised and studied to identify any differences between the Jatropha blend and regular Jet A1. No effects to performances were found. The use of jatropha has been identified as a possible future fuel but large tracts of low quality land needed to grow the plant would have to be found without impeding other agricultural uses. Air New Zealand took the opportunity to retire ZK-NBS due to the economic global slowdown in 2009. It was then flown to the USA and broken up for reusable parts.
See also
- Air transport in New Zealand
- Ansett AustraliaAnsett AustraliaAnsett Australia, Ansett, Ansett Airlines of Australia, or ANSETT-ANA as it was commonly known in earlier years, was a major Australian airline group, based in Melbourne. The airlines flew domestically within Australia and to destinations in Asia during its operation in 1996...
- JetconnectJetConnectJetconnect is an airline based in Auckland, New Zealand. It is a shell company of Qantas. It was established in July 2002 and started operations in October 2002. It operates trans-tasman services between New Zealand and Australia under the Qantas brand. It employs crew based in New Zealand and...
- List of airports in New Zealand
- Transport in New ZealandTransport in New ZealandTransport in New Zealand, with its mountainous topography and a relatively small population mostly located near its long coastline, has always faced many challenges. Before Europeans arrived, Māori either walked or used watercraft on rivers or along the coasts...
External links
- Air New Zealand at YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....