Sir Ralph Norris: Why Air New Zealand cannot be judged like any other airline

PremiumOpinionOpinion bySir Ralph NorrisNZ Herald·17 May, 2026 05:00 PM5 mins to readSir Ralph Norris was chief executive of Air New Zealand from 2002 to 2005.Air New Zealand operates under pressures unlike most global airlines. Photo / Getty ImagesOver the past week, I’ve seen two very different conversations playing out about aviation.One has celebrated the ambitions of a large foreign airline investing in New Zealand. The other has questioned the value and future of our own national airline, following a difficult financial outlook.

Both conversations matter. But