Future Safety Stars: Air New Zealand Reveals Schools For Safety Winners

Air New Zealand is proud to announce the five winners of its Schools for Safety grants. The nationwide initiative invited Kiwi kids to put their creative spin on safety for the opportunity to receive one of five $10,000 grants to go toward helping Kiwi tamariki achieve their dreams.

After reviewing more than 40 imaginative entries from schools across Aotearoa, the following schools have each been selected for their outstanding submissions:

· Rotokawa School

· Clyde School

· Rotorua Primary School

· Chertsey School

· Tikorangi School

Each school had an innovative and unique approach to its safety video. Chertsey School used tree climbing as their safety theme, Clyde School had secret agents preparing the school for the Safety Inspector, Rotokawa School stood out for its use of te reo in its ‘Tumeke!’ safety video, Rotorua Primary School used sport and rugby to bring safety to life, and finally, Tikorangi School showcased rural school safety – complete with cow and sheep walking road rules.

Dame Valerie Adams, who served as the competition's lead judge, praised the entries' quality and creativity.

“Schools for Safety was all about giving Kiwi kids the chance to be creative and showcase their school’s safety initiatives. There were so many incredible entries. I was fascinated and intrigued by the imagination of our tamariki.

“Getting down to a shortlist was tough! I was so impressed by how language and culture were included in so many of the videos. The winners stood out for their unique approach to safety, excellent delivery, and creativity. Congratulations to the five deserving schools selected – tino pai rawa atu!”

Air New Zealand Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer Kiri Hannifin says Kiwi kids are giving Air New Zealand a run for its money when it comes to safety videos.

“We received more than 40 entries from schools large and small across Aotearoa – an incredible volume and all at such a high calibre, which made our job exceptionally challenging. Safety is at the heart of everything we do at Air New Zealand, so it's wonderful to see Kiwi schools place just as much importance on keeping our tamariki safe.

“I was blown away by the quality of the videos – I think we might even have some future safety stars in the making! Congratulations to each and every school that participated for their remarkable efforts and creativity. We can’t wait to see how the recipients use their grants to inspire and educate their students.”

About Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand’s story started in 1940, first taking to the skies between Auckland and Sydney on a flying boat - a Short S30. Known for its warm Kiwi hospitality, today, the airline has operating aircraft ranging from Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and Airbus A320s to ATRs and Q300s, offering customers comfort in the latest most efficient jets and turboprops. It’s a modern fuel-efficient fleet with an average age of 8.7 years. Air New Zealand’s global network of passenger and cargo services centres around New Zealand. In 2023, the airline flew more than 16 million passengers. Air New Zealand was named 2024 World's Safest Airline by the Australian rating service AirlineRatings.com, highlighting the airline’s laser-focus on safety and won Best Corporate Reputation in New Zealand in 2023 – the 9th year in a row.

Air New Zealand has a well-connected domestic business, connecting customers and cargo to 20 different regions around New Zealand. Internationally, the airline has direct flights to major cities across Australia, Asia, the Pacific Islands and the US, and through its strong relationships with alliance partners, offers customers more choice and convenience to connect further afield to hundreds of destinations. Air New Zealand has a particular focus on sustainability and its Sustainability Frameworkhelps guide the airline’s efforts in tackling some of New Zealand's and the world's most complex challenges. Airpoints, Air New Zealand’s loyalty programme, is seen as the most valuable loyalty programme in New Zealand with more than 4 million members. It allows members to earn AirpointsDollars™ and Status Points for VIP benefits in the air and on the ground. Air New Zealand aircraft are proudly identified by its distinct tail livery of the Mangōpare, the Māori symbol of the hammerhead shark which represents strength, tenacity, and resilience.

About Star Alliance

Established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance, the Star Alliance network was founded on a customer value proposition of global reach, worldwide recognition, and seamless service. Since its inception, it has offered the largest and most comprehensive airline network, with a strong emphasis on enhancing the customer experience throughout the entire Alliance journey.

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, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Air Portugal, THAI, Turkish Airlines, and United.

Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers 17,500 daily flights to over 1,150 airports in 189 countries. Further connecting flights are offered by Star Alliance Connecting Partner Juneyao Airlines.

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