Air New Zealand celebrates 75 years

On April 30, 1940, Air New Zealand launched its inaugural flight, a direct route stretching 1345 miles from Auckland to Sydney that took more than seven hours to complete. Today, the same flight now only takes around three and a half hours – a symbol of the many innovations being celebrated by the airline with the arrival of its 75th anniversary.

With the official date drawing near, an intimate dinner was held to honour Air New Zealand’s Canadian partners, hosted by Chris Allison, manager – sales and market development, Canada.

“The Canadian market is really important to Air New Zealand right now,” Allison told PAX. “It’s growing at a phenomenal rate for us.”

The airline has indeed been increasing activity in Canada over the past year, announcing daily service from Vancouver to Auckland for this coming December and January, as well as adding 20 per cent more capacity between May and October 2015 for its YVR flights (as well as SFO and LAX). It also intends to have refurbished the 777-200 aircraft on its Vancouver service by the end of October, and will be increasing its resources in Canada, appointing a new field sales manager in Toronto to focus solely on corporate markets.

The event was kicked off by a meal of authentic New Zealand cuisine that included kumara, lamb, kina and nori prepared by Kiwi Chef Tom Riley, as well as a presentation by Allison, who informed those in attendance that Air New Zealand will be launching service to Houston later this year, in addition to expanding its network in Asia and Buenos Aires.

“This is all because of our new and efficient fleet,” he said, “which allows us to operate new routes that weren’t necessarily viable in the past.”

Last year, Air New Zealand was a launch customer for the 787-9 series, the second series in the Dreamliner fleet. The airline purchased 13 planes order for delivery over the next two years and has major investments planned for new aircraft – $3 billion within the next six years – an example of the initiatives being taken to increase its growth. Another such development is the arrival of paid seating – including preferred and exit row seating – available with Sabre GDS, a program that provides agents the opportunity to earn additional commissions (paid seats are commissionable at the same rate as the associated ticket).

Dinner was accompanied by a video tour of the refurbished aircraft's new interiors, with features that include leather lie-flat beds with memory foam mattresses and duvets; Premium Economy Spaceseats; and the Economy Skycouch, designed for families undergoing long-haul flights.

Allison took the opportunity to provide a history of Air New Zealand, encouraging anyone travelling to New Zealand to visit the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington, where an exhibition showcasing Air New Zealand’s 75 years runs through June 5.

Perhaps most significantly, Allison’s presentation included an overview of the airline's priorities for the next few years, which include a strong emphasis on investment in its partnerships, networks and customer experiences as the airline continues to grow in Canada.

“This is very much a partnership,” Allison told the dinner guests before him. “We want to grow with you.”

For more information, visitwww.airnewzealand.ca/company-history.