Air NZ congratulates Boeing on successful 787-9 test flight

18 September 2013

Air New Zealand congratulates Boeing on successful 787-9 test flight

Air New Zealand’s aspiration to further enhance the commercial performance of its international business took a big step forward today with the completion of the inaugural test flight of the Boeing 787-9.

Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Christopher Luxon says that as the launch customer of the revolutionary new plane there was a terrific level of interest in the historic test flight from Seattle this morning.

“Air New Zealand congratulates Boeing on what it has achieved today. This is a significant milestone in a programme that will enhance the travel experience for friends, families and businesses connecting around the world. We are hugely excited knowing that in less than a year Air New Zealand will be the first airline to take the 787-9 into commercial service,” Mr Luxon says.

“The 787-9 will be a game changer for Air New Zealand. Not only is it significantly more fuel efficient than the aircraft it is replacing, the 787-9 also represents a significant growth opportunity for our business as it opens up the prospect of expanding our Pacific Rim footprint. We look forward to welcoming the first of our 10 new 787-9s into our fleet mid next year.”

About Star Alliance
Air New Zealand is proud to be a member of 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: Adria Airways, Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, 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, TAM Airlines, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI, United and US Airways. Overall, the Star Alliance network offers more than 21,900 daily flights to 1,328 airports in 195 countries.

For more information about Air New Zealand visit www.airnewzealand.com and for more information about Star Alliance visit www.staralliance.com

ENDS

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