Taking care further than any airline on earth

When Air New Zealand committed to a new generation of Boeing 787s in 2020, they weren't just buying planes. They were buying a blank canvas to reimagine what it means to fly. We were invited into their secret skunkworks facility, Hangar 22, to help design the cabin experience of the future.

The Challenge

Air New Zealand was investing heavily in new-generation Boeing 787s to support flagship routes like Auckland to New York nonstop. But new aircraft deserved more than just new seats. The airline saw an opportunity to completely overhaul their in-flight customer experience, both physical and digital, to differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive market.

The challenge wasn't just technical. It was cultural. How do you express Manaakitanga, the Māori value of hospitality and care, through technology at 40,000 feet?

How We Approached It

We became part of Hangar 22, Air New Zealand's secretive innovation facility known only to a handful within the organisation. This wasn't your typical corporate project. It was a skunkworks operation with a single, powerful mission: "Taking Care Further than any airline on earth."

Our approach centered on understanding how cutting-edge technology could embody this core value. We explored how high-definition 4K screens with multi-touch capabilities, rarely seen in the industry, could create more intuitive, personal experiences for passengers. But the real innovation was in the infrastructure: the ability to deploy changes to the cabin experience over WiFi whenever an aircraft lands.

What Made It Special

This wasn't just about bigger screens or flashier interfaces. We were pioneering something unprecedented in aviation. A cabin experience that could evolve in real-time. The infrastructure we helped design meant that passenger experiences could be updated, personalised, and improved without the aircraft ever needing to visit a hangar.

The technology became the vehicle for expressing Manaakitanga digitally. Creating moments of genuine care and connection, even on long-haul flights.

The Reality

We helped Air New Zealand create a completely new paradigm for in-flight entertainment and digital experiences. The new Boeing 787s launched with:

Industry-first 4K multi-touch entertainment systems that passengers could navigate intuitively 

Revolutionary over-the-air updates enabling real-time experience improvements via WiFi

Manaakitanga-centered digital interactions that made technology feel personal and caring