Group General Manager Shorthaul Airline Appointed

Mr Parton, who is currently the airline's General Manager Domestic Airline, will take up the role effective immediately. He succeeds Norm Thompson who was recently appointed Deputy Chief Executive Officer.

Mr Parton will be responsible for more than NZ$2 billion of Air New Zealand's revenue delivered from the key New Zealand and Australasian regions, as well as the direct distribution network and support structure. He has full operational and financial accountability for the regional turbo prop airlines (Mt Cook, Eagle Air and Air Nelson), domestic jet services, Tasman and Pacific Island services as well as the New Zealand and Australasian airport operations.

Chief Executive Officer Rob Fyfe says Mr Parton has demonstrated a strong ability to drive profitability and implement change to keep a step ahead of the competition during his 12 years with the airline.

"Bruce will add significant strength to the senior management team as Air New Zealand faces a range of hurdles, such as intense competitor activity, soaring fuel prices and a fluctuating dollar. He has a strong commercial, operational, change management and leadership background which when combined with the ability to spot opportunities and quickly seize them will bring an extra dimension to the team," says Mr Fyfe.

Mr Parton's previous roles at Air New Zealand include General Manager Pacific Airline, General Manager Airline Operations and General Manager Materials (ANZES).

Mr Parton says he has entered his new role at one of the most pivotal times in Air New Zealand's recent history.

"My immediate focus will be ensuring that we build on our market leading positions domestically, on the Tasman and in the Pacific. Innovative pricing and marketing strategies coupled with a uniquely Kiwi experience delivered by Air New Zealanders will underpin success. Ultimately, it is our people who set us apart from the competition."

Mr Parton says continuing to change and evolve the business to meet the needs of customers will be a key challenge.

"We have strengthened this ability over the past few years, but must keep exceeding our customers' expectations to ensure we remain their airline of choice. Furthermore, we must continue to grow our shorthaul business and a strong focus will be placed on identifying potential capacity expansion and new route opportunities over the next few months."

Mr Parton says he will spend much of the next few weeks travelling within the business talking to Air New Zealanders about the shorthaul division's challenges and opportunities as well as meeting with union leaders and other key stakeholders.

ENDS

Issued by Air New Zealand. Phone: 09 336 2761

Editors Note:

Air New Zealand employed the same selection process as it would when recruiting for a Chief Executive. Internal and external candidates, including several from overseas, were considered during the search.

Mr Parton is aged 41 and is married with two children aged 10 and 13. He has a Bachelor of Business Studies and former employers include Coca Cola - Great Britain and Grant Thornton, a Chartered Accountant firm. He is an avid rugby fan, an appreciator of New Zealand wines and a keen fisherman.

NOTE: The content of all Air New Zealand media releases are accurate at the time of issue, as stated at the top of each release. For updates on any changes, please contact Air New Zealand.

Air New Zealand is proud to be a member of Star Alliance. The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer worldwide reach, recognition and seamless service to the international traveller. Its acceptance by the market has been recognised by numerous awards, including the Air Transport World Market Leadership Award, Best Airline Alliance by both Business Traveller Magazine and Skytrax. The member airlines are: Adria Airways, Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Blue1, bmi, Continental Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Spanair, SWISS, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI, United and US Airways. Aegean Airlines, Air India, Brussels Airlines and TAM have been announced as future members. Overall, the Star Alliance network offers 19,500 daily flights to 1,071 airports in 171 countries.

For more information about Air New Zealand visit www.airnewzealand.com and for more information about Star Alliance visit www.staralliance.com.