Araraurangi, Air New Zealand will operate its first flight dedicated to te reo Māori. Partnered with Te Matatini, charter flight NZ 1236 will fly 171 passengers from Te Whanganui-a-tara to Tāmaki Makaurau for the most prestigious kapa haka and Māori performing arts competition, Te Matatini Herenga Waka Herenga Tangata.
“Except for Civil Aviation Authority prescribed announcements, the only language spoken by the pilots and cabin crew will be te reo Māori,” detailed Tupara Morrison, Air New Zealand Māori Development Lead. “From check-in on our Kiosks to gate and inflight announcements to inflight services – we’ll be sharing te reo Māori throughout the entire journey. Our people have really led the charge in owning their part of the experience.”
Air New Zealand and Te Matatini have been working together since 2018 to develop and showcase the Te Matatini festival as New Zealand’s premium cultural event, promoting Aotearoa, New Zealand, to the world. Te Matatini is widely recognised as “the Olympics” of kapa haka performance, where teams enter from around the country to compete. The festival serves as a place of connection and community for Māoridom.
Herewini Parata, Te Matatini Chairman, said Te Matatini is proud to collaborate with Air New Zealand and deliver the first-ever te reo Māori flight.
“Through this collaboration, we can align our strategic goals, and showcase our unique Māori language and culture, through the very best in kapa haka excellence.”
Five of the airline’s Tohu Reo pin wearers will be part of the flight experience. The pin represents Araraurangi employees who have demonstrated fluency in te reo Māori, worn with pride and purpose.
“We also have Air New Zealand employees onboard who are kaihaka (performers) at the festival, so we expect there will be a fair bit of waiata lifting spirits during what is a difficult time for Aotearoa,” added Morrison.
