New A320s to connect New Zealanders to the Tasman and beyond

Air New Zealand is welcoming the latest addition to its fleet – a new Airbus A320neo that has made the 21,000km journey from Toulouse, France.
4 November 2021

"Our new A320 is a welcome sign of international travel being just on the horizon," says Air New Zealand's Chief Pilot Captain David Morgan.

The new short-haul aircraft travelled from France via Canada, Los Angeles, Honolulu and the Cook Islands before touching down at Auckland Airport late last night.

It's the first of two new A320neo aircraft to join the Air New Zealand fleet this month, with the second plane expected to arrive late next week.

The aircraft, which can seat up to 165 passengers, is also the first A320neo to join our fleet since the end of 2019.

"It's welcome news, particularly in the context of the challenges that Covid has brought upon our business."

"It won't be sitting on the tarmac for long, before it's jetting out of Auckland across the Tasman and into the Pacific Islands. We're starting to gear up now so it's a tremendously exciting time for the team at Air New Zealand."

Captain Morgan says the new A320neos are powered by an engine that is exceptionally quiet for passengers and crew onboard. They also feature Wi-Fi to help people stay connected and inflight entertainment so customers can enjoy world-class movies, TV shows, music and more during flights.

The aircraft also uses significantly less fuel compared to older technology aircraft.

"I'm personally excited about our future with these airplanes. They're going to deliver very efficient and sustainable customer journeys."

Air New Zealand has an average fleet age of 6.7 years making it one of the youngest and most efficient fleets in the world.

The new plane is now going through a process to get it ready for service in the coming days.

"Someone is going to have an exciting day when they jump into an airplane and whether they're flying to Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, undoubtedly they'll notice - instead of new car smell – the new plane smell."

"It will be quite a thrilling moment for customers to fly on the first official flight in this airplane."

Ends

• NHF images

• David Morgan interview

• NHF Auckland arrival broll

• NHF Los Angeles broll

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Issued by Air New Zealand Communications.

Email: media@airnz.co.nz │ Twitter: @AirNZMedia

About Star Alliance

The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer worldwide reach, recognition and seamless service to the international traveller. Its acceptance by the market has been recognised by numerous awards, including the Air Transport World Market Leadership Award and Best Airline Alliance by both Business Traveller Magazine and Skytrax. The member airlines are: Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Air Portugal, THAI, Turkish Airlines, and United. Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers more than 19,000 daily flights to more than 1,250 airports in 195 countries. Further connecting flights are offered by Star Alliance Connecting Partner, Juneyao Airlines.

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