Air New Zealand has today made two new appointments to its executive team, appointing Nathan McGraw as Chief Safety and Risk Officer and Scott Wilkinson as Chief Commercial Officer.

Of course, both are matters of personal preference, with strong arguments to be made for either side, but, every so often, the worlds of aviation and pets collide, occasionally resulting in cat-astrophic consequences.

A Maine coon cat named Mittens clocked up some serious air miles this month after being left on an Air New Zealand flight and accidentally flown to Australia and back. Mittens’ owner, Margo Neas, described the events as “both distressing and unacceptable” after paying $1948 to have her feline flown to Australia.

Air New Zealand has unveiled a look at its year in review that welcomed a staggering 16.2 million passengers in 2024.

Europe's air safety agency approves internet connection for ATR 72-600 aircraft. ATR 72-600 with Starlink connection just behind the wing. Air New Zealand is poised to be the world’s launch customer for Starlink high-speed internet on its ATR 72-600 fleet.

For the second year in a row, Air New Zealand has been rated the safest airline in the world, beating out transtasman rivals, Qantas, for the top spot in 2025. The two airlines have gone toe-to-toe in the prestigious Airlineratings.

Air New Zealand again edged out Qantas in a ranking for the world’s safest airlines to fly in 2025. Using its own seven-star rating system, Australia-based website AirlineRatings analysed data on everything from recent incidents to audits and certifications from industry bodies. It also considered

Air New Zealand's first ATR 72-600 with Pratt & Whitney's new PW127XT engine has entered commercial operations.

Air New Zealand ranked the safest top full-service airline in 2025. Air New Zealand narrowly edged out Qantas for the top spot, with just a 1.50-point difference between the two airlines. Both maintain exceptional safety standards and pilot training, but Air New Zealand's younger fleet gave it the advantage.

Air New Zealand is to boost its senior leadership team with the appointment of a chief safety and risk officer, as well as a chief commercial officer.

Thanks to Matakana’s proximity to the coast, you can easily add a visit to Omaha Beach, Tawaharanui Regional Park, or Goat Island Marine Reserve, New Zealand’s oldest protected ecological area, which families particularly like for snorkeling.