Air NZ stands by Dreamliner
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Air New Zealand stands by Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner despite delays to delivery and costs to the airline. Speaking at the Aviation Outlook Australia Pacific conference in Sydney, CFO Rob McDonald admitted that delivery delays are hampering the carrier’s growth plans. Air NZ is being forced to retain Boeing 747 and 767 aircraft longer than it had anticipated. However purchasing aircraft to bridge the gap is not an option according to McDonald who maintains the Dreamliner is the right aircraft for the carrier. He said purchasing another model would provide short-term relief but would not support long term growth, insisting the 787 best meets the requirements of its long-haul operations. “That would give us relief for a couple of years, but we wouldn’t have the right plane for the next 20 years,” he said.This aircraft is a major feature of Air NZ’s growth strategy which will see the airline simplify its long-haul fleet to include just 787s and 777s. The Dreamliner will operate routes to China and Japan while the 777s will serve routes to North America.
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