Air New Zealand 787 draws a heart in the sky

An Air New Zealand Boeing 787-9 has drawn a huge heart in the sky while operating a special Koru Care flight – taking kids on a mystery journey. The 787 drew a 440 km long and 483 km wide heart shape across the north island of New Zealand. The flight departed Auckland, with a guest list that included 50 New Zealand children with critical medical conditions such as cancer and heart disease, and their caregivers. In a global-first, the airline then live streamed the top-secret route in partnership with FlightRadar24 and gradually revealed the heart shaped flight plan during a Facebook Live broadcast, enabling followers on the ground to join in the kids’ excitement. Air New Zealand has supported Koru Care for more than 30 years and donates around 100 airfares every year for overseas holidays for children living with serious medical conditions. Air New Zealand Chief People Officer Jodie King volunteered on today’s flight and says the airline wanted to host a flight for children who have been unable to join Koru Care’s international trips due to the nature of their medical condition or personal situation. “Many of the children had never been on a plane before – let alone a Dreamliner. Today’s flight gave these brave Kiwi kids the chance to experience the excitement of flying and our people really pulled out the stops to make it a magical day.” Various organizations helped make the Air New Zealand Koru Care flight possible – including Panasonic Avionics, BP, Auckland Airport, Airways New Zealand, LSG catering, Fonterra, Delish Cupcakes, Urban Gourmet and SkyBus.