WORLD’S LARGEST ALL-BLACK AIRCRAFT ARRIVES AT LAX TODAY

 (Los Angeles, California – January 19, 2011) Air New Zealand’s newest Boeing 777-300ER, the world’s largest commercially operated aircraft to be painted all black, will touch down on Runway 24R at Los Angeles International Airport today, Jan. 19, at approximately 2 p.m. The aircraft (flight number NZ 2) will then taxi to Terminal 2.

The aircraft’s all black paint job is overlaid with a design featuring New Zealand’s distinctive silver fern that extends across the rear of the aircraft up to its tail. The paint job was extremely complex, requiring 14 expert painters at Boeing working in shifts 24 hours a day to get the job done.

Painting of the aircraft was part of Air New Zealand’s sponsorship of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and the World Champion All Blacks rugby team.