Air New Zealand - the Airline of Middle-earth

Air New Zealand is the official airline of Middle-earth with a global two-movie partnership with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, from New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

As part of the two-year partnership, passengers to and from the UK and North America can look forward to flying on a film-branded Boeing 777 aircraft, enjoy a very special edition of the in-flight safety video, “An Unexpected Briefing” which to date has received more than 9 million views on YouTube and take part in a wide range of upcoming promotions and experiences.

Air New Zealand General Manager Marketing and Communications, Mike Tod, said, “We are excited at the prospect of so many international visitors traveling to Wellington for the 28 November 2012 world premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

“New Zealand is clearly established as the home of Middle-earth and Air New Zealand will bring the magic to life for travelers.

“This partnership follows on naturally from the success of Air New Zealand’s relationship with The Lord of the Rings trilogy in raising New Zealand’s profile as an international travel destination.

Air New Zealand’s New Black Tail and Typeface

Chief Executive Office Rob Fyfe announced this summer that the tails of all new aircraft entering the fleet would be painted black and the lettering of the Air New Zealand name is being modernized.

"Our iconic symbol, the Koru, will remain but it will be set within our national color rather than the blue and green tones on our tails today. Alongside this change we are introducing a new lettering style for the Air New Zealand name, which will adorn all our new aircraft. This will also be rolled out across all our signage and communications channels by the end of the year," Mr Fyfe said.

"Black has resonated well with our customers and staff who identify with it as the colour of New Zealand and a natural choice for our national airline. It inspires pride, is part of our Kiwi identity and a symbol of Kiwi success on the world stage," Mr Fyfe said.

About Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand is an Australasian airline with a Pacific Rim focus, operating, on average, 500 flights a day within a network of 52 cities in 16 countries including 27 destinations within New Zealand. North American services include daily, non-stop flights to New Zealand from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Honolulu and Vancouver, and Los Angeles non-stop to the Cook Islands and London.

Consistently rated among the world’s best international airlines, Air New Zealand was named ‘Airline of the Year’ by Air Transport World in 2010 and 2012. Air New Zealand’s success is grounded by a focus on true product innovation and a commitment to delivering a world-class flight experience to every customer.

A proud member of Star Alliance, Air New Zealand customers enjoy reciprocal loyalty rewards, services and greater connectivity through the Alliance’s global network of airline partners. It’s who we are – Ko matou enei.

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

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