Air New Zealand has poked fun at Air Canada for its new all-black livery which will be introduced on the Canadian airline’s Jetz service.
The Canadian airline unveiled the new Jetz livery on X (formerly Twitter) on September 12, 2023, saying that the new paint job will make the service’s aircraft “instantly recognizable and feature a modernized, upgraded cabin”.
In response, Air New Zealand cheekily noted that the livery looks oddly familiar, attaching an image of its all-black Boeing 787 aircraft.
We may have blacked out for a sec, but this is looking oddly familiar… 🤔🖤✈️ pic.twitter.com/vm3Ke7qFnv
— Air New Zealand ✈️ (@FlyAirNZ) September 12, 2023
According to its website, Jetz, an in-house service within Air Canada, is the carrier’s “premiere charter aviation service provider delivering superior Business Class service to satisfy the travel needs of professional sports teams, entertainment groups and corporate clients”.
Transport Canada (TC) data shows that Air Canada shares its Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) with Air Canada Jetz, as well as Air Canada Express and Air Canada Cargo.
The service’s fleet includes a total of four aircraft, three Airbus A319 and one Airbus A320, seating 58 and 70 passengers in an all-business class configuration, respectively. Other Jetz features include a personal concierge, dedicated crews, an on board certified mechanic, customized meals, and personalized head covers and menu cards.
Air Canada also boasted that artists, such as Phil Collins, Bruce Springsteen, U2, The Rolling Stones, and the Spice Girls have used Jetz services in the past. The list of customers also includes five National Hockey League (NHL) teams, namely the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, and Vancouver Canucks, as well as a single National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise, the Toronto Raptors.
Air New Zealand’s all-black livery also has a sports connection.
When the Kiwi airline announced the unique paint scheme in December 2010, its then-chief executive officer (CEO) Rob Fyfe said that the arrival of the airline’s new Airbus A320 in January 2011 would celebrate the airline’s long-running support of rugby.
New Zealand’s national rugby team is nicknamed the All Blacks.
That Airbus A320, registered as ZK-OAB, was delivered on January 27, 2011, according to ch-aviation.com data, bearing an all-black livery from the factory.
Since then, more of Air New Zealand’s aircraft have borne all-black paint schemes, including, but not exclusive to, an Airbus A321neo, a Boeing 777, and a Boeing 787.
