Air New Zealand flies first journey dedicated to te reo Māori

This afternoon, Araraurangi Air New Zealand operated its first flight fully dedicated to te reo Māori. Other than Civil Aviation Authority-prescribed announcements, the only language spoken by pilots and cabin crew was te reo Māori. Te reo was also centred at the check-in kiosks, gate and in-flight announcements and in-flight service. The charter flight NZ1236 brought 171 passengers from Te Whanganui-a-Tara to Tāmaki Makaurau for the prestigious kapa haka competition, Te Matatini. Boarding the flight were two performing rōpū, Ngā Taonga Mai Tawhiti and Ngā Uri Taniwha, festival judges, and representatives from various organisations including Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (the Māori Language Commission) and Te Mātāwai. Air New Zealand Māori development lead Tupara Morrison said the airline was proud to support Te Matatini and the revitalisation of te reo Māori with this special flight for the 50-year anniversary of the festival. “It was the most enjoyable flight from Wellington to Auckland that I’ve ever had,” said Morrison. “We had the whole plane breaking out into waiata during the trip.” Increasing the use of te reo was a good goal for Air New Zealand, Morrison said. “This initiative that we did today shows the airline’s commitment to the promotion of the language and the partnership with Te Matatini is helping us to achieve that.”<br/>