AUCKLAND- Flag carrier Air New Zealand (NZ) CEO Greg Foran served drinks to passengers on an international flight after arranging for it to be diverted to pick him up, along with 30 business and government representatives.
Foran was traveling from Auckland (AKL) to Tokyo (NRT) for a trade summit on an official government jet with the delegation. The jet made a scheduled refueling stop in Papua New Guinea but experienced a mechanical issue.
Air New Zealand CEO Diverts Plane
The jet had two blown fuses, preventing it from flying at high altitude to Tokyo, leaving most of the delegation stranded in Papua New Guinea. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister managed to leave on two commercial flights via Hong Kong (HKG).
Eventually, the government jet was cleared to fly at a low altitude to Brisbane (BNE). There, Foran organized an Air New Zealand flight NZ99 from Auckland to Tokyo to make an unscheduled stop to pick up the delegation.
Once on board the 7.9-year-old Boeing 787 Dreamliner, registered as ZK-NZJ, Foran used the public address system to apologize to the passengers for the diversion.
After the plane was airborne and en route to Tokyo, Foran and airline chairperson Dame Therese Walsh assisted in serving drinks to everyone on board.
Fortunately, Monday’s regularly scheduled flight to Tokyo had enough seats for the entire delegation, though Foran and Walsh had to sit in Economy Class at the back of the plane.
According to FlightRadar24, Air New Zealand flight NZ99 from Auckland to Tokyo Narita arrived just over two hours later than planned, despite the unscheduled stopover in Brisbane.
Undercover CEO
In 2021, Greg Foran onboard the Air NZ flight operated by A321 from Australia served food and drinks to passengers without revealing his true identity.
The flight, carrying around 200 passengers, departed Sydney (SYD) at 7 PM local time and arrived in Auckland ahead of schedule just before midnight.
One passenger, seemingly unimpressed with the situation, expressed his disappointment to Foran, though it was unclear if he realized he was speaking to the CEO.
Earlier, Foran had met with ground staff at Sydney Airport, including those in the airline’s lounge, where he spoke with staff members for about an hour.
Increased Flights to Japan, Singapore
As we know Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran is in Japan and has announced that the airline will add 30,000 seats to its Tokyo route from November to March, offering Japanese customers more options to travel to New Zealand.
This increase is due to the airline’s Boeing 777s flying more frequently to Japan. With 342 seats, including 44 in Business Premier and 54 in Premium Economy, this will provide more capacity and premium cabin options.
Mr. Foran stated that the increased capacity reflects high demand and will boost economic growth in New Zealand’s tourism industry.
Japan is a crucial market for New Zealand tourism. More seats during our busiest season means increased inbound travel from Japan. Adding the 777 to more Tokyo services increases premium cabin availability and allows customers to experience our refreshed aircraft with new seat covers and updated amenities like pillows and blankets.”
Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran
This is part of a broader capacity increase to key Asian destinations, with over 55,000 additional seats across Singapore, Tokyo, and Taipei between November 2024 and March 2025.
The increase includes more premium seats, offering customers additional space and comfort.
Asia capacity increases for November 2024 – March 2025 include:
- Tokyo: 30,000 additional seats, mainly in Business Premier or Premium Economy
- Singapore: 20,000 additional seats, with 11,000 in Business Premier or Premium Economy
- Taipei: 7,500 additional seats in Business Premier and Premium Economy
Our premium cabins are incredibly popular with customers travelling to and from destinations like Singapore, Tokyo, and Taipei, so we’re pleased to introduce increased capacity from November to give those customers more seats to book travel.”
Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran
Prime Minister, Rt Hon Christopher Luxon, stated,
New Zealand and Japan have long-standing connections, particularly when it comes to our tourism sector. Pre-Covid we welcomed over 100,000 visitors from Japan every year so it’s great to see air travel capacity increasing again, providing an important boost to New Zealand’s economy.”
Prime Minister, Rt Hon Christopher Luxon
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