Say the word “sustainable” around an airline executive, and they’ll probably try to change the subject. That’s because green air travel is a distant dream. But not for Air New Zealand.
“We’re doing everything we can to become sustainable now,” says Kiri Hannifin, Air New Zealand’s chief sustainability and corporate affairs officer. “And we’re leaving no stone unturned.”
Hannifin is not your typical airline executive. She’s too casually dressed, too plain-spoken to fit the stereotype, answering my questions quickly and candidly. Hannifin readily admits she prefers being among the workers at the airport instead of sitting at a desk in Air New Zealand’s Auckland headquarters, where I met her.
Air New Zealand is unique among airlines. It’s the national air carrier for a geographically isolated island on the far edge of the Pacific Ocean. New Zealand depends on long-haul aviation for tourism and trade, and the airline imports 100 percent of its jet fuel. That creates a paradox. If you cut back on carbon emissions, you could cut yourself off from the rest of the world.
So can you explore the world and protect it at the same time? Hannifin doesn’t just hope the answer is yes — she’s counting on it. But Air New Zealand’s path to sustainability has already been turbulent, and there’s more rough air ahead. There have been missteps. Hannifin’s work may affect your next flight on all airlines beyond Air New Zealand, no matter where you’re headed.
Air New Zealand’s flight plan for sustainability
A bold experiment is underway to turn Air New Zealand green. The airline is exploring strategies to reduce its environmental impact. They include:
- Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF): SAF is an alternative jet fuel that reduces carbon emissions across its lifecycle compared to traditional fossil fuels. The airline recently purchased 30 million liters of SAF for its flights from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Auckland.
- Electric planes: Air New Zealand expects to be one of the first commercial airlines to add an electric plane to its fleet in 2025. It’s a six-seater, all-electric aircraft from Beta Technologies with a range of 350 kilometers. The airline intends to use the electric plane for short cargo routes from Wellington to Blenheim on New Zealand’s South Island.
- Next-level conservation. The airline is also experimenting with other sustainability measures. For example, it recently removed single-use coffee cups from one of its flights and encouraged passengers to bring their own cups. The airline has also removed disposable coffee cups from their lounges and replaced them with washable ones. (The bring-your-own-cup experiment was short-lived, but the paper cups in the lounges are gone for good.)
Granted, these are baby steps toward Air New Zealand’s goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. Hannifin says achieving it will require a “huge lift” and she predicts it’ll be a bumpy ride as the airline navigates passenger demand, regulations and a need to be profitable.
What’s the journey been like?
It’s been an adventure so far. One challenge is getting buy-in from passengers. While its customers say they care about the environment, only between 3 and 4 percent buy a carbon offset when they book a ticket.
And then there’s the great paper cup experiment. The airline uses hundreds of thousands of landfill-clogging disposable cups every year. But getting passengers on board with conservation efforts has proven difficult. Hannifin recalls a recent flight where the airline scrapped its paper cups on a trial basis. (Related: How Auckland’s green transformation is shifting from sustainability to regeneration.)
“We texted the customers twice,” she recalls. “We said, ‘Please bring your own cups. We’re just doing a little trial and we’ll give you prizes.'”
Only 10 percent of the passengers brought their cups. Flight attendants handed out Air New Zealand lapel pins and keychains to the participating passengers. Back to the drawing board. (Related: Downgraded on my American Airlines flight to New Zealand — do I get a refund?)
Another giant hurdle: sustainable aviation fuel made from agricultural waste. It’s the primary driver of green aviation. There’s no clear, consistent global framework to support its widespread use.
Air New Zealand is voluntarily purchasing SAF, placing it at a commercial disadvantage compared to other airlines that continue to rely solely on cheaper fossil fuels. The airline is pushing for a SAF mandate in New Zealand, which would level the playing field by requiring all airlines to use a certain percentage of sustainable fuel.
This lack of regulatory support also hinders the development of a domestic SAF industry, because fuel companies require the assurance of long-term demand before investing in SAF production facilities in New Zealand.
What does this mean for your next flight?
How will all of these initiatives affect your next trip? In the short term, the most noticeable change might be the absence of single-use coffee cups.
As SAF becomes more prevalent, you might be flying with a fuel mix that reduces carbon emissions by up to 80 percent compared to regular jet fuel. Down the line, the use of electric planes for regional routes may become more common. And the amount of sustainable fuel being used will increase every year.
And what about that 2050 goal? Air New Zealand is far from getting there, and Hannifin says the airline is currently the fifth largest polluter in New Zealand, which, she admits, “is a terrible position to be in.” (Here is our best guide to traveling this summer.)
But she says the company is determined to be taken off the list quickly as it adopts sustainable fuels and switches to electric planes.
Hannifin predicts the flying experience itself will change as 2050 draws closer. Faster planes and quieter engines may make it more convenient to get to New Zealand. Sustainability aviation will be at the center of it.
“Travelers will be much more cognizant of where they travel based on climate footprint,” she says.
It’s a slow journey toward sustainability — but one worth taking
If Air New Zealand wants to reach its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, it will require a multi-pronged approach. The airline will have to address not just decarbonization but also waste reduction and broader sustainability practices. It will have to solve the paradox of being a carrier of passengers, some of whom are trying to reach family or experience the natural beauty of New Zealand, with being a polluter.
This odyssey is happening across the entire tourism industry, as governments and passengers start pressuring air carriers to do more for the environment. So Air New Zealand’s journey might affect an airline closer to home soon.
Reality check: With New Zealand entering a recession and Air New Zealand’s competitors still using cheaper fossil fuels, it sounds almost impossible. But Hannifin likes those odds.
“We have to really hustle,” she says. “But we’ll get there. I’m sure of it.”
