[ad_1]
Supplied
In the spirit of Aotearoa’s largest kapa haka festival Te Matatini, which opens in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland this week, Araraurangi Air New Zealand operated its first flight fully dedicated to te reo Māori on Monday, February 20, 2023. (Image description: a flight attendant stands in the aisles of a flight with her hands raised in a wiri.)
This afternoon, Araraurangi Air New Zealand operated its first flight fully dedicated to te reo Māori.
Read this story in te reo Māori and English here. / Pānuitia tēnei i te reo Māori me te reo Pākehā ki konei.
Other than Civil Aviation Authority-prescribed announcements, the only language spoken by pilots and cabin crew was te reo Māori. Te reo was also centred at the check-in kiosks, gate and in-flight announcements and in-flight service.
The charter flight NZ1236 brought 171 passengers from Te Whanganui-a-Tara to Tāmaki Makaurau for the prestigious kapa haka competition, Te Matatini.
Boarding the flight were two performing rōpū, Ngā Taonga Mai Tawhiti and Ngā Uri Taniwha, festival judges, and representatives from various organisations including Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (the Māori Language Commission) and Te Mātāwai.
READ MORE:
* Te Matatini to go ahead, with support on offer to kapa haka grappling with cyclone’s impact
* Poi-twirling wahine Māori traffic signals go green for Te Matatini kapa haka festival
* Te Matatini mahau to be blessed ahead of next week’s festival
* Scotty Morrison: ‘I think the language sought me out rather than I sought the language out’
Air New Zealand Māori development lead Tupara Morrison said the airline was proud to support Te Matatini and the revitalisation of te reo Māori with this special flight for the 50-year anniversary of the festival.
“It was the most enjoyable flight from Wellington to Auckland that I’ve ever had,” said Morrison.
Supplied
Tupara Morrison is Air New Zealand’s Māori development lead. (Image description: Morrison wearing a black and white Air New Zealand logo shirt and a toki around his neck, smiles at the camera.)
“We had the whole plane breaking out into waiata during the trip.”
Increasing the use of te reo was a good goal for Air New Zealand, Morrison said.
“This initiative that we did today shows the airline’s commitment to the promotion of the language and the partnership with Te Matatini is helping us to achieve that.”
Morrison is looking forward to enjoying the festival.
“Hopefully a lot of the mauri from the festival is going to get to those in Te Tairāwhiti, Kahungunu and Hawke’s Bay and hopefully play a part in lifting the spirits of the people down there.”
Morrison said that the airline has recognised 15 fluent reo Māori speakers with their Tohu Reo programme and was awaiting more graduates.
Five of the airline’s Tohu Reo pin wearers were part of the flight experience. The pin is worn by Araraurangi employees who have demonstrated fluency in te reo Māori.
Air New Zealand said the pin identifies staff who are te reo Māori speakers to Air New Zealand’s customers and it is worn with pride and purpose.
Supplied
Other than Civil Aviation Authority-prescribed announcements, the only language spoken by pilots and cabin crew was te reo Māori. (Image description: Passengers hold up electronic devices to film a flight attendant singing and playing the guitar on the plane.)
Air New Zealand and Te Matatini have been working together since 2018 to develop and showcase the Te Matatini festival as New Zealand’s premium cultural event and promote Aotearoa New Zealand to the world.
Te Matatini chairman Herewini Parata said Te Matatini was proud to work in collaboration with Air New Zealand to arrange the airline’s first ever te reo Māori flight to Auckland ahead of Te Matatini at Eden Park from February 22 to 25.
“Through this collaboration, we can align our strategic goals, and showcase our unique Māori language and culture, through the very best in kapa haka excellence.”
[ad_2]