75 years of Air New Zealand

From a faintly frumpy backwater carrier to the airline king of cool, Air New Zealand’s three-quarter-century history points the way for its future

If you walk down the corridor into Air New Zealand’s 75th anniversary exhibition at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington, it’s hard to figure out who’s more enthusiastic about Air New Zealand: the throngs of Kiwis admiring dozens of historical photographs, or the excited chatter of the characters on the video screens cleverly interspersed with the picture frames.

New Zealanders hold their airline close to their hearts. Air New Zealand’s head of global brand management Jodi Williams sums it up neatly for Australian Aviation. “We’re a national carrier, and we have been an integral part of the fabric of New Zealand. ” From triumph to tragedy, from a Europe-focused Commonwealth carrier to a nascent Pacific Rim network airline, Air New Zealand’s future will be as fascinating as its past.