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Air New Zealand Limited (ASX:AIZ, NZX: AIR, Air New Zealand) is a scheduled passenger airline based in Auckland, New Zealand, and the national flag carrier. Its focus is on Australasia and the South Pacific, with services to Europe, North America and Asia, and it is a Star Alliance member. Its main hub is Auckland Airport.[3]
Contents |
[edit] History
Air New Zealand began as TEAL (Tasman Empire Airways Limited) in 1940, operating Short Empire flying boats on trans-Tasman routes. With the introduction of the DC8-52 in 1965, TEAL became Air New Zealand. In 1978, the domestic National Airways Corporation (NAC) and its subsidiary Safe Air were merged into Air New Zealand to form a single national airline.
[edit] Brand and livery
[edit] Brand
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 will be woven through all Air New Zealand's signage and products.
[edit] Livery history
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.
[edit] Special liveries
A special livery 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 Cup.
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 Rings imagery, applied as giant decals (while the film is as thin as clingfilm, the decals weighed over 60 kg). The decals featured actors from the The Lord of the Rings film trilogy against backdrops of New Zealand locations used in the films.[4] [5]
[edit] Destinations
- Further information: Air New Zealand destinations
Domestic Kaitaia, Bay Of Islands, Whangarei, Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Whakatane, Rotorua, Taupo, Gisborne, Napier, New Plymouth, Wanganui, Palmerston North, Masterton (from February 2009), Wellington, Nelson, Blenhiem, Westport, Hokitika, Christchurch, Timaru, Oamaru, Wanaka, Queenstown, Dunedin, Invercargill.
Regional Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Cairns, Perth, Rarotonga, Noumea, Port Vila, Nadi, Apia, Nuku'alofa, Niue and Papeete.
International Tokyo, Osaka, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Honolulu, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, London. (also code-shares with all Star Alliance airline destinations).
Total Destinations (Domestic, Regional and International) is 52.
[edit] Arrival and departure gates
International Auckland, Christchurch.
Regional Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Hamilton, Dunedin, Queenstown.
[edit] Fleet
The Air New Zealand fleet consists of the following aircraft as at 1 November 2008:[1]
| Aircraft | Total | Passengers (Business Premier/Premium Pacific*/Pacific) |
Routes | Age of Aircraft | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A320-200 | 12 | 152 (8/36/108) | Domestic, Select Tasman (except Perth) & Pacific | 4 Years | Currently undergoing cabin refit. 9 Aircraft currently with new interior. 10 Aircraft are leased. |
| ATR72-500 | 11 | 68 (0/0/68) | Domestic | 8 Years | Operated by: Mount Cook Airline. 8 Aircraft are leased. |
| Beechcraft 1900D | 18 | 19 (0/0/19) | Domestic | 6-7 Years | Operated by: Eagle Airways. 1 on order. |
| Boeing 737-300 | 16 | 133 (0/0/133) | Domestic & Pacific | 8-10 Years | 11 Aircraft are leased. |
| Boeing 747-400 | 8 | 379 (46/39/294) | International long haul, Tasman | 13-14 Years | 6 Aircraft are leased. |
| Boeing 767-300ER | 5 | 234 (24/0/210) | Select Tasman and Pacific Routes | 13 Years | All Aircraft with new interior. |
| Boeing 777-200ER | 8 | 313 (26/18/269) 304 (26/36/242) Retrofitted |
International long haul, Select Tasman & North American Routes | 2-3 Years | 4 Aircraft are leased Aircraft to be retrofitted Early 2009. 7 bassinets to be put on aircrafts |
| Boeing 777-300ER | (4 orders) | 351 (39/46/269) | International long haul | 0 Years | Deliveries: 2010–2012 |
| Boeing 787-9 | (8 orders) | International long haul | 0 Years | Deliveries: 2013–2016 | |
| Bombardier Q300 | 21 | 50 (0/0/50) | Domestic | 1-2 Years | Operated by: Air Nelson. 2 on order. |
*Premium Pacific Class is offered on routes operated by Boeing 747-400 and Boeing 777-200ER aircraft only.
[edit] Fleet operations
- Boeing 747-400 aircraft fly on the daily non-stop Auckland–Los Angeles service (NZ5/6) and daily Auckland-London Heathrow via Hong Kong (NZ38/39) flights. They are also used on one of the daily Auckland-Brisbane services.
- Boeing 777-200ER aircraft are used on the daily Auckland-London Heathrow via Los Angeles (NZ2/1) flights, Auckland-Osaka (NZ97/98), Melbourne-Auckland-San Francisco (NZ7/8), Auckland-Tokyo (NZ90/99), Auckland-Shanghai (NZ89/88), Auckland-Beijing(NZ86/87) routes. They are also used for one of the daily Auckland-Melbourne services, and for regular Auckland-Vancouver flights.
- Boeing 767-300 aircraft are used predominantly to fly the majority of Air New Zealand's other routes including Auckland–Perth, Auckland-Honolulu, Auckland-Rarotonga-Los Angeles, Auckland-Nukuʻalofa-Apia-Los Angeles, Auckland-Papeete and Auckland-Osaka.
- One Boeing 737-300 (ZK-FRE) is currently[update] wearing the Air New Zealand Holidays colours.
[edit] Fleet plans
- Air New Zealand has undergone a cabin overhaul on its Boeing 767 and Airbus A320 aircraft, principally so that all seats have a personal entertainment system.
- Delivery of four 777-300ER aircraft will take place in around 2010. Air New Zealand also has options on three more of these aircraft. These will replace the aircraft on routes currently operated by 747 aircraft.[6].
- Delivery of eight Boeing 787-9 aircraft will take place between 2011 and 2013. Air New Zealand also has a further eight options for these aircraft. The CEO has suggested possible new destinations in Africa, India, the Americas, and Asia, possible with the long range of the 787-9. [1]
- On 28 September 2007 Air New Zealand shareholders approved plans to exercise options on a further eight Boeing 787-9 aircraft and a further three Boeing 777-300ER, worth up to NZ$4.5 billion.[2]
- On 18 July 2008, Air New Zealand commenced services to Beijing Capital International Airport, in time for the 2008 Olympics.
- From September 2008, Air New Zealand's services to London via Los Angeles from Auckland will operate on the 777-200ER after several decades of continuous service on the 747-400. *As of November, the 747-400 has remained on this route along with the 777-200ER. The 777-200ER operate as NZ1 and NZ2. The 747-400 currently operates as NZ5 and NZ6.
- In early 2008 when Boeing delayed the 787 Dreamliner for a third time, Air New Zealand received their first set of delays for their own 787-9 aircraft, delaying the delivery of them from 2011 to 2012. As launch customer for the Dash 9, Air New Zealand is seeking compensation for these delays with the possibility of being leased the smaller 787-8 as an interim type. It has also been approached as the 787-10 launch customer when that version is launched in 2015 to take on the Airbus A350, a type the Airbus has wooed Air New Zealand with back to buying that company's products.
- ATR 72-500 and Boeing 737 had forward replacement programmes underway. Fleet Replacement Proposed Types (now suspended), were: Bombardier Q400 and C-Series, Embraer E-190 & E-195, ATR 72-600, and Airbus A319.
- Air New Zealand decided to suspend ATR replacement in October 2008 and approved Mount Cook Airline to purchase the eight leased aircraft outright giving them total fleet ownership. (11 aircraft).
- Boeing 737 replacement studies were also put on hold while the global economic crisis of 2008 started to effect the New Zealand economy.
[edit] Retired
Air New Zealand or its predecessors (NAC and TEAL) have operated:[7]
|
|
| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas DC-8-52 | 4 | 0 | |
| Lockheed Electra | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 6 | 0 |
[edit] Services
[edit] Cabin classes
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 747 (and ordered 777) fleet of aircraft was equipped with personal LCD screens with audio video on demand. First class was removed, with an upgraded business class and a new premium economy section installed.
Business Premier Class (business class) features a seat that unfolds into a flat bed. The seats are configured in a herringbone layout (a variation on the Virgin Atlantic Airways Upper Class seat, which was paid licensing fees for use of the concept; similarly used on Air Canada and Cathay Pacific). Each seat has direct aisle access.
Pacific Premium Class (premium economy) is in a dedicated cabin, which shares lavatories with the Business Class cabin. The class has the same mood lighting, wine selection and in-seat power as the Business Class cabin. On the 747 the seats are wider than Pacific Class, while on the 777 the seat width is the same as in Economy; 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 amenity kits and improved dining options.
Pacific Class (economy class) has a new generation seat design with added space. The seats have a flexible edge seat base to provide more leg support when reclined, and an 8.4" personal LCD screen. Entertainment modules were moved to the side for more legroom.
[edit] Concierge
On 11 December 2007, Air New Zealand announced that they were going to start hiring in-flight concierge staff for long-haul international flights, whose function would be to advise passengers personally on travel advice, onward bookings, and other services. The service began in April 2008 with routes between Auckland and Vancouver, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Hong Kong; fares were not expected to rise as a result of the extra crew member.[9]
[edit] Check-in kiosks
This was 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). Check-in kiosks are manufactured by IER (www.ier.aero)
[edit] Koru Club
The Koru Club is the name for Air New Zealand's network of airline lounges in New Zealand and around the world.
[edit] 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 every Air New Zealand ticketed and operated flight. Members are assigned a tier status, with increasing privileges ranging from Jade to Gold Elite.
[edit] Website
The website is now the preferred choice of booking for flights and package deals on offer by the airline.
As with most airlines, Air New Zealand's website displays flight arrivals and departures from all its destinations, route maps and fleet information.
[edit] Codeshare agreements
29 November 2007, Air New Zealand has codeshare agreements with the following airlines, aside from Star Alliance partners:[10]:
[edit] Subsidiaries
Air New Zealand Airlines operations subsidiaries
- 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 airlines – Air Nelson, Eagle Airways and Mount Cook Airline – which serve secondary destinations in New Zealand.
- Air Nelson is based in Nelson, operating Bombardier Q300s. Flight numbers are in the NZ8000 series.
- Eagle Airways is based in Hamilton, operating Beechcraft 1900D aircraft. Flight numbers are in the NZ2000 series.
- Mount Cook Airline is based in Christchurch, operating ATR 72-500 turboprop aircraft. Flight numbers are in the NZ5000 series.
- Zeal320 was introduced to help combat increasing labour costs. Air New Zealand operates its trans-Tasman fleet of A320 aircraft under the Zeal320 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 A320s were registered to Zeal320 until 26 November 2008, when ownership was transferred back to Air New Zealand.[11]
Air New Zealand also uses air charter operators Air National and Vincent Aviation, complementing Eagle Airways on selected provincial routes using British Aerospace Jetstream 32, Bombardier Dash 8-100 and Beechcraft 1900C aircraft respectivley.
Air New Zealand Techical operations subsidiaries
- Air New Zealand Engineering Services
- Safe Air New Zealand
- Safe Air Australia
- tasman aviation enterprises (tae)
- Christchurch Engine Center (50%)
- Altitude Aerospace Interiors
Safe Air Australia is a subsidiary of Safe Air New Zealand
[edit] Incidents and 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 onboard).[12][13]
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.[14]
On 28 November 1979, Air New Zealand Flight 901, a scheduled sightseeing flight over Antarctica, crashed into Mount Erebus. The McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 disintegrated on impact killing all 237 passengers aboard as well as the 20 crewmembers. This remains New Zealand's deadliest disaster.
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 starvation.[15]
On 8 February 2008, a woman attempted to hijack Air New Zealand Flight 2279 from Blenheim to Christchurch. 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.[16][17]
On 27 November 2008, (28 November New Zealand time) an Air New Zealand-owned Airbus A320 registered D-AXLA, on a post-maintenance flight (flight GL888T) crashed into the Mediterranean Sea seven kilometers east of the French city of Perpignan, near the border with Spain killing seven people on board, including four Air New Zealand representatives and a Civil Aviation Authority inspector. The aircraft was leased to XL Airways Germany, a European-based airline and was being overhauled by a local French company located at the Perpignan - Rivesaltes Airport prior to its return off lease. [18][19] Investigator's interest has focussed on the Air Data Inertial Reference Unit.[20] The investigation is being led by the Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la sécurité de l'Aviation Civile (BEA), with the participation of its counterparts from the German Bundesstelle für Flugunfalluntersuchung (BFU), the New Zealand Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC), and the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Specialists from Airbus and from International Aero Engines (IAE), from XL Airways Germany, operator of the airplane and from Air New Zealand, the owner of the airplane, are associated with the work of the technical investigation.[21][22]. Data from the flight recorders was recovered at the manufacturer's facility.[23]
[edit] Controversial topics
[edit] 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.[24]
[edit] Sex discrimination
In November 2005, it was revealed that Air New Zealand (along with Qantas) 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 admitted to having the same policy as Qantas, attracting widespread criticism.[25]
[edit] Qantas code-share
On 12 April 2006, Air New Zealand and Qantas 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 [3] and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission [4]. 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.
The most notable flaw of the codeshare, however, was the fact that the two airlines were members of separate alliances; Air New Zealand being part of Star Alliance and Qantas part of oneworld.
[edit] Alternative propulsion
In the effort to develop an aviation biofuel, Air New Zealand and Boeing are researching the jatropha plant to see if it is a green alternative to conventional fuel.[26] A two-hour test flight using a 50-50 mixture of the new biofuel with Jet A-1 in one of the engines of a 747-400 was successfully completed on 30 December 2008.[27]
[edit] Sponsorship
Air New Zealand is title sponsor of the Air New Zealand Cup domestic rugby club competition.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Obtained by way of extracting data from the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand Active Aircraft Register and filtering data to only include aircraft operated by Air New Zealand Ltd
- ^ "Shares on Issue". Retrieved on 2007-11-01.
- ^ "Directory: World Airlines", Flight International (2007-03-27), p. 64.
- ^ Air New Zealand - Official airline to Middle-earth (press release) 14 December 2002
- ^ Return of Aragorn and Legolas: Air New Zealand Debuts Newest Flying Billboard 19 November 2003
- ^ ANZ orders up to seven 777-300ERs to replace 747-400s
- ^ Air New Zealand Company History (PDF)
- ^ Flight International 26 March 1970
- ^ Bradley, Grant (2007-12-11). "Air NZ hires world's first in-flight concierges". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
- ^ Co-operation Partners: Travel Info: Air New Zealand – NZ Site
- ^ NZ CAA list of registered Airbus A320s retrieved 28 November 2008.
- ^ Cranston, Mark (April 2006). "Air New Zealand DC-8 Digest". Simviation Historic Jetliners Group. Retrieved on 2007-09-17.
- ^ "ASN Aircraft accident description Douglas DC-8-52 ZK-NZB - Auckland International Airport (AKL)". Aviation Safety Network (2005-02-27). Retrieved on 2007-09-18.
- ^ "ASN Aircraft accident Fokker F-27 Friendship 500 NK-NFC Manukau Harbour". Aviation Safety Network (2005-02-27).
- ^ "Major Carriers". Retrieved on 2007-11-11.
- ^ "Witness: Airport drama 'like a Bruce Willis movie'", The New Zealand Herald.
- ^ "Police identify woman who attacked pilots on flight", The New Zealand Herald.
- ^ "Five New Zealanders feared dead after Air NZ plane crashes", NZ Herald (2008-11-28).
- ^ "Seas scoured after Airbus crash", BBC News (2008-11-28).
- ^ "Investigation's Slow Pace 'Troublesome'", Aero-News Network (29 December 2008).
- ^ NTSB preliminary record
- ^ BEA press release 3 December 2008
- ^ BEA press release 8 January 2009
- ^ "Air NZ engineers accept deal", New Zealand Herald (24 February 2006).
- ^ Ban on men sitting next to children
- ^ Air NZ sees biofuel salvation in jatropha.
- ^ "Vegetable oil tested on NZ flight". BBC News (31 December 2008). Retrieved on 2008-12-31.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Air New Zealand |
- Air New Zealand
- AirNZ.mobi Air New Zealand mobile site
- Air New Zealand Fleet Age
- Air New Zealand Data & Statistics
- Air New Zealand company history
