Air New Zealand has announced that it has selected Wellington and Marlborough airports as the ports for its first all-electric aircraft. The airline announced the purchase of its first next-generation aircraft, the all-electric ALIA CTOL from Beta Technologies, late last year.
Wellington Airport will be the home base of Air New Zealand’s first next-generation aircraft, while Marlborough Airport will also establish charging infrastructure to power the aircraft for the return journey.
“We are incredibly grateful to both Wellington and Marlborough airports for being so willing to take on a leadership role in supporting Air New Zealand to establish next-generation aircraft capability in our business,” said Kiri Hannifin, Chief Sustainability Officer, Air New Zealand. “Their involvement is critical in supporting the infrastructure required to fly next-generation aircraft, and they’ll help lead the way in supporting airports across Aotearoa to make the changes needed for us to fly larger lower-emissions aircraft on our domestic network from 2030.”
Wellington Airport shares Air New Zealand’s ambition to accelerate the pace of change needed to decarbonise aviation. “Partnering with Air New Zealand to host the commercial demonstrator is a giant leap for sustainable aviation, providing the basis for all airports to prepare for the next generation of aircraft technology,” said Matt Clarke, Chief Executive Officer, Wellington Airport. “Our team put their heart and soul into the hosting bid and that same energy will now be focused on getting this service off the ground.”
Dean Heiford, Chief Executive Officer, Marlborough Airport, commented: “Decarbonising aviation is of global importance, and in New Zealand maintaining regional connectivity through this transition is of national importance. This is a big step for us on our own sustainability journey that we wouldn’t have been able to achieve without partnership. We’re looking forward to sharing our learnings with other regional airports across New Zealand. Hosting the demonstrator with Wellington will further cement Marlborough as an important hub to keep New Zealand connected across the Cook Strait.”
