The epic 20,000km journey of Air New Zealand's newest aircraft

Passengers on one Air New Zealand route on Thursday afternoon will be stepping on board an aircraft that is being described as a “milestone” for the airline. ZK-MZG recently completed an epic 20,000km journey to become the national carrier’s 30th ATR aircraft. The ATR 72-600 arrived into New Zealand on December 29 after a week-long trek from the manufacturing site in Toulouse, France. The plane had to make stops in Heraklion (Crete), Riyadh, Oman, Hyderabad, Kuala Lumpur, Denpasar, Darwin, and Brisbane before landing in Christchurch. The first journey with passengers is a little shorter - a quick hop to Invercargill. Air NZ’s general manager of strategy, networks, and fleet, Baden Smith, called the arrival of the 30th ATR a “milestone”. “The addition of this aircraft will provide vital support for our turboprop fleet helping provide maintenance flexibility and helping maintain the reliability of our services for regional customers,” said Smith. He described the ATR as a “fantastic aircraft” that is the “backbone” of the airline’s domestic network. “It performs exceptionally well in New Zealand’s unique operating conditions with its fuel efficiency, reliability, and ability to access smaller airports. The aircraft's versatility ensures we can maintain a robust and resilient service, connecting our communities across the motu efficiently.” ZK-MZG is the first of the airline’s ATR fleet to use the Pratt & Whitney PW127XT engine, which is designed to deliver an estimated 3% fuel savings compared to its predecessor.<br/>