Preflight

Air NZ posts record profit but sees challenges ahead

Luxon says Virgin partnership unchanged after share selloff

Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon says his airline’s partnership with Virgin Australia has been unaffected by the decision to withdraw from the board and sell its equity stake.

In addition to their alliance on the Tasman, Virgin’s Boeing 737-800s and ATR 72 turboprops undergo maintenance checks at Air New Zealand’s engineering workshops in Christchurch and Nelson, respectively. The pair also has a shared Boeing 777-300ER engine pool.