Besplendent in a glossy black livery featuring the airline's Maori koru logo in white on its vertical stabiliser and New Zealand's national silver fern symbol (also in white) along its rear fuselage -both in white - Air New Zealand's first Boeing 787-9 ZK-NZE (c/n 34334) took off on its delivery flight from Boeing's widebody plant at Everett on July 10. The non-stop flight departed Everett's Paine Field at 0700 local time and landed 14 hours later at Auckland Airport at around 1600 local time on July 11, after crossing the international dateline. As the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000-powered aircraft taxied to its parking position, it was welcomed by a group of Air New Zealand employees performing the traditional Maori haka on a wet winter afternoon. A ceremonial challenge to combat issued by the All Blacks, New Zealand's fearsome national rugby team, the haka is a famous starter at their international rugby union clashes, but it is also performed as a dance of welcome and honour.
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