An Air New Zealand repatriation flight took Tonga citizens stranded since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic home from Auckland today.
The business said the aircraft will predominantly fly regional routes and hinted its moderate size made it perfect for a post-COVID-19 market.
The panels will provide enough renewable energy to generate 17 GW hours of electricity per annum, which will allow it to power all four terminals.
Chief executive Alan Joyce also said the airline is operating at 20 per cent pre-COVID-19 capacity, and not the 45 per cent it had initially hoped.
The plane, bound for Australia, crashed in Papua New Guinea because the sheer weight of cocaine it was smuggling impaired its ability to take off, the Australian Federal Police have suggested.
The news comes after reports Queenstown ski resorts saw the highest number of visitors in years and the national airline increased flights in July to meet demand.