Air New Zealand All Blacks 777

There isn’t all that heavy a Cargo component to this photo, but Air New Zealand’s new special-livery 777-300ER (ZK-OKQ, msn: 40689) was simply too interesting to let pass without some show and tell. Rugby is New Zealand’s national sport, and New Zealand men’s national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, are perhaps the most dominant Rugby team in history. It came as no surprise when Air New Zealand painted up an A320 in a special color scheme to honor the All Blacks – but Air New Zealand has now gone one better, and painted up this brand new 777 in the special black livery with white and grey leaves. The livery is a stark contrast to Air New Zealand’s extremely restrained euro-white regular livery.

The plane is the world’s largest aircraft ever to be painted in a totally black livery, and is one of six aircraft in the Air New Zealand fleet to get the treatment (the others are a pair of A320s and a trio of Beech 1900Ds).

Air New Zealand’s cargo division manages belly freight on the carriers’ 4 747-400s and (with the addition of this aircraft) 13 777s (a mixture of -200ER and -300ER models). Air New Zealand’s main hub is in Auckland, but the native carrier also has strong presences in Wellington and Christchurch.

Photographer: Alex Kwanten