Air New Zealand unveils new desgin for select aircraft By Lauren Brunetti on June, 14 2013 | Airline & Terminal News Air New Zealand has rolled out a new look for its aircraft, unveiling a livery it says will adorn its entire fleet by the end of 2014. The new look, which will feature an iconic silver fern, will phase out Air New Zealand's teal blue colors in favor of a mostly black and white scheme. The carrier's traditional "koru" design will remain on the tail, though it will shift to a white-on-black design. Air New Zealand is rolling out the new branding as part of a NZ$20 million marketing partnership withTourism New Zealand. "The new-look livery is distinctive and iconic and we believe will inspire a sense of pride in New Zealanders," Air New Zealand CEO Christopher Luxon says in a statement. “Air New Zealand has a long-standing relationship with Tourism New Zealand, having worked closely with the organisation in all of our key markets to promote New Zealand for a number of years. Today’s MoU signals a significant step-change in the level of joint marketing activity we will undertake to promote destination New Zealand." “As the national airline of New Zealand, growth in inbound tourism to New Zealand is a critical factor in our success. We fly more international visitors to New Zealand than any other airline and it is vital that we work together with tourism partners such as Tourism New Zealand in order to convert the opportunities out there,” says Mr Luxon. Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive Kevin Bowler says partnership activity remains a key priority for the organisation in its new three-year marketing strategy. According to the Australian Bussiness Traveler, the design process involved extensive consumer testing including focus groups both in New Zealand and overseas, with the airline stating that 78 percent of those surveyed believing the country's familiar 'fernmark' should be incorporated into the airline's new look. 1 Copyright DutyFree Magazine. All rights reserved..