Air New Zealand bringing back the Boeing 777-300

Air New Zealand is bringing a Boeing 777 back into service after hibernation through much of the pandemic. The 777-300 - the largest plane in the airline's fleet - has been on the ground for nearly 600 days and will be brought back initially for cargo flights. The aircraft, ZK-OKQ, last flew on June 20 in 2020 between Melbourne and Auckland before being parked up at Auckland Airport due to the pandemic. It has spent the last four weeks getting a maintenance makeover in Auckland. It will initially fly cargo-only services between New Zealand, Australia, and Los Angeles, carrying fresh New Zealand produce to the world – including salmon, lamb and seafood, as well as pharmaceutical and e-commerce goods. The airline is retiring its older Boeing 777-200s and the larger -300 model has been parked as more fuel-efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliners have been doing mainly cargo flying around the network. Some of these planes are due to have their wings repainted soon. Air NZ chief operational integrity and safety officer Captain David Morgan says the return of the airline's first 777 aircraft is an "incredibly special day" for the airline and is a sign that the tides are turning. "After the past 24 months of predominately operating a domestic business, seeing our iconic B777 back in action will be an emotional moment for many Air New Zealanders... It's a positive sign there is light at the end of the tunnel, and while it's only flying cargo to begin with, we are hopeful that as the border restrictions continue to ease, we will be welcoming customers back on board soon." <br/>