Air Transport World has named Air New Zealand as its Airline of the Year for 2010, thanks to Air New Zealand’s “superb commitment to safety and operational excellence…and for its superb and groundbreaking customer service that combines high-tech, passenger-friendly IT systems with high-touch and caring staff.”

The airline magazine went on to applaud Air New Zealand for its strong financial performance in an otherwise depressing year for the airline industry, and the airline’s efforts to help the environmental challenges that currently face the industry. Air New Zealand conducted the world’s first sustainable biofuel flight in 2009.