Media Releases - 2010

Air New Zealand’s first Boeing 777-300ER aircraft has been delivered in Seattle, USA and will touch down in Auckland on Christmas Eve morning, bringing the Kiwi designed economy Skycouch to New Zealand for the first time.

Air New Zealand's cheeky puppet mascot, Rico, has a starring role in the latest version of the airline's on-board safety video created for the arrival next month of the first of five new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

Book and Purchase Star Alliance Circle Fares via the Web.

The Kingdom of Tonga has given notice that it wishes to terminate the joint venture agreement supporting the weekly Air New Zealand service connecting Nukualofa and Apia with Los Angeles. The service will be suspended at the end of January 2011.

Eighty family members of loved ones lost in the Erebus tragedy will travel to Antarctica on a remembrance flight this summer after being drawn in an independently run ballot.

Air New Zealand today revealed the new livery design for the first aircraft in its new domestic jet fleet.

Air New Zealand has today reaffirmed itself as one of the world's top performing airlines, announcing normalised earnings* before taxation of $137 million for the 12 months ended 30 June 2010.

Air New Zealand has more than tripled the number of charter flights it will be operating from Japan to New Zealand this summer in response to a resurgence in demand from this high spending tourism market.

Air New Zealand today announced that it will be increasing the number of flights into and out of Wanaka.

At a ceremony held in Athens today, 30 June 2010, Aegean Airlines was accepted into the Star Alliance network as the 28th member.

Air New Zealand will be enabling its new Boeing 777-300 aircraft with mobile phone and data capability, with the first aircraft due for delivery in November this year.

Air New Zealand has picked up more global industry accolades overnight, taking out two Skytrax Awards for the Best Airline Australia/Pacific and the Staff Service Excellence Award for the Australia/Pacific region.

TAM Airlines, the leading Brazilian carrier, today joined the Star Alliance network, thereby putting the world’s longest serving airline alliance firmly back on the South American continent.

With UK and some European airspace currently closed to all carriers as a result of recent volcanic activity, flights to and from these destinations are currently disrupted.

With all UK airspace currently closed to all carriers, the following Air New Zealand flights are affected:

Altitude Aerospace Interiors Ltd has signed its first contract to fully fit out a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) VIP aircraft interior.

Air New Zealand will be significantly increasing domestic seat capacity due to growing demand and the expected impact of the Rugby World Cup from January next year.

Air New Zealand today announced normalised earnings* before taxation of $96 million for the six month period ended 31 December 2009, an increase of $70 million on the same period last year.

Luxurious chalk coloured leather premium seating, deep ink colours and mood lighting in all cabins of Air New Zealand's new Boeing 777-300ER cabins will provide an interiors look more akin to a private jet than a commercial jetliner.

Air New Zealand is predicting dramatic growth in premium travel, specifically Premium Economy, with its new fleet of Boeing 777-300 aircraft to have 39 per cent more seats in this class than on its 777-200 aircraft and 28 per cent more than on its 747-400 fleet.

Air New Zealand today announced it has engaged Trelise Cooper, one of New Zealand's leading fashion designers, to assist in the design of the next Air New Zealand uniform.