As 2025 takes off, Air New Zealand is reflecting on a very busy 2024, during which it welcomed 16.2 million customers onboard and operated 171,605 flights.

Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran says it was another monumental year for the airline.

"We'd like to thank everyone who travelled with us in 2024, and extend a special acknowledgement to our incredible team of Air New Zealanders for their dedication and hard work. Their professionalism and grit kept the airline moving, even while navigating significant challenges such as ongoing engine availability issues.

"Despite these hurdles, we achieved major milestones, including sending our first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner up to Singapore for a state-of-the-art interior retrofit. We can't wait to welcome our customers into these new cabins in 2025," says Foran.

Milestones achieved in 2024

Safety video sensation: The airline's 23rd safety video, Every Point Counts, featuring Kiwi basketball star Steven Adams, was released in November and became an instant hit, amassing 30.4 million views globally.

Airpoints boom: Airpoints membership soared in 2024, with 414,000 new members joining, bringing the total to 4.8 million. Nearly 300,000 items were sold on the Airpoints Store, with the Huski Beer Cooler emerging as the most popular product.

Travel trends: Auckland to Sydney was the most popular short-haul route, while Auckland to Singapore topped long-haul travel. Bali continued to dominate as a holiday hotspot, with Air New Zealand expanding its service to a year-round schedule.

Customer connections: The introduction of Live Chat offered a new way for customers to get in touch, resulting in 265,936 engagements.

Pilot cadets: The Mangōpare Air New Zealand Pilot Cadetship received more than 2000 applications for its inaugural intake, with 30 cadets selected to begin their training journey.

Behind the scenes

Engine legends: Air New Zealand's engineering team clocked 1.2 million hours maintaining the fleet, completing 88 engine changes to keep aircraft flying safely.

Cargo highlights: The airline transported 130.9 million kilograms of cargo - fresh produce, meat and seafood were the top categories, including 1.9 million kilograms of asparagus, 1.7 million kilograms of lobster, and 880,000 kilograms of blueberries.

Furry and feathered friends: Among the 19,444 animals carried were 9148 dogs, 4369 cats, 19 kiwi, 17 ducks, 10 geese, 7 penguins, 2 owls and 1 kea. Air New Zealand also welcomed two Tasmanian devils travelling across the Tasman.

Onboard and lounges

Meals and treats: Crew served 5.7 million meals (ex New Zealand) and handed out 3.8 million cookies and 17.5 million Air New Zealand lollies - including a new red and white striped candy cane-flavoured lolly, introduced for the holiday season.

Preferred seats: Window seats were the top choice across all aircraft types. Seat 2A was the most coveted, except on ATR-72 aircraft used for domestic services, where 16A was the favourite due to rear boarding.

Lounge luxuries: Customers spent an average of 106 minutes relaxing in Air New Zealand lounges before international flights. Mango chili margaritas and espresso martinis were the most popular pre-departure cocktails.

Looking ahead

As Air New Zealand prepares to celebrate its 85th birthday in April, Foran says the airline remains deeply committed to connecting New Zealanders with each other and New Zealand to the world.

"Here's to building on this legacy and achieving many more milestones in the years ahead."

© Scoop Media