Air New Zealand launch Plane Spotter’s Guide

July 16, 2026

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Air New Zealand has launched a new Plane Spotter’s Guide this week, inviting Kiwi children to look up, listen out and spot aircraft during the school holidays. The guide is designed for curious young travellers and future pilots who want to identify planes taking off, landing or flying overhead. It features aircraft such as the ATR72-600 and Q300, which connect regional New Zealand, along with the Airbus A320neo, Airbus A321neo, Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and Boeing 777-300ER.

CLICK HERE to download the guide.

Air New Zealand A320 Captain Jake Snelgrove says plane spotting turns an ordinary trip past the airport into a mini adventure. He explains that every aircraft has its own personality, with some easy to recognise because of their size, wing shape, engines or even their sound. Captain Snelgrove advises young spotters to find a safe viewing spot, keep their eyes on the sky and look closely for details that make each plane unique.

The guide includes illustrations, simple spotting clues and fun facts to help junior plane spotters tell the aircraft apart. Air New Zealand also shares its favourite plane spotting locations around the country, including Puhinui Road Lookout in Auckland, Lyall Bay Beach in Wellington, Aviation Drive in Christchurch, Frankton Golf Course in Queenstown and the Airport Perimeter Walkway in Nelson.

Captain Snelgrove says families do not need to visit an airport to take part, as planes can be spotted from the car, the beach, the backyard or even while walking the dog. He says the airline cannot wait to see what its youngest aviation fans manage to spot these school holidays.

Article written by Shem Banbury - Kiwi Kids News Editor

This article was written using AI as an assistive tool for research and writing.

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Learning Options

Recall Questions

Thinking questions

Digital Thinking

On Saturday morning, a group of students from a Wellington intermediate school collected rubbish from a local beach. They worked for two hours and filled six large bags. The organiser said the clean-up helped protect seabirds and made the beach safer for visitors. Some students noticed many plastic bottles and food wrappers near the rocks. One student commented that the beach looked much better after the clean-up. Another said the event was tiring but worth the effort. The group planned to return next month and continue the work.

Which statement from the passage is a fact?

The clean-up was tiring but worth the effort. The beach looked much better after the clean-up. The clean-up helped protect seabirds. The group filled six large bags.