Final flight for Air NZ workhorse

After 32 years of service, Air New Zealand’s last scheduled Boeing 767-300ER flight took off from Auckland International Airport yesterday.

‘‘It’s a great plane that’s done a fantastic job for us, bringing New Zealand to the world and the world to New Zealand,’’ Air New Zealand chief pilot David Morgan said. ‘‘But now is the time for it to go.’’ While developments in flying technology were an obvious factor, Morgan also said older aircraft struggled to produce enough electricity and cooling power for today’s cabins.

With individual inflight entertainment screens at each seat these days, for example, more electricity is needed to power them and aircraft had to have better cooling systems to keep the cabin comfortable.

The upgrade is also needed because the 767 can’t fit the seat and cabin classes, including sky couches and premium economy, that Air New Zealand offers on its other long-haul jets.

The 767s would be converted as freight planes, but not for Air New Zealand.

The 230-seat aircraft’s pending retirement was announced last August.

Air New Zealand had flown the 767 for more than three decades, having introduced it in 1985.

During its time in service the aircraft had flown the majority of the airline’s long-haul routes.

The aircraft has been progressively replaced by the more fuel-efficient Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner since July 2014 with a further two 787s to be delivered this year.The airline has a total of 13 on order, and deliveries will run until late 2018.

A fan of the 767 himself, Morgan said it was a pilot favourite due its good design and low sound levels.

‘‘It’s a very honest aeroplane, we know what it’s going to do. It doesn’t have any vices,’’ he said.

Some of the pilots would feel sentimental at its retirement, but that pain was eased by the move over to the 787.

‘‘The 767 in 1985 is what the 787 is today.’’

That new plane had updated technology but a lot of the flying experience for the pilot was the same, he said.

For nervous passengers, however, better systems for measuring and managing turbulence were a bonus.

The retirement of the 767 aircraft completed Air New Zealand’s long-term plan to move to a simplified fleet structure.

The airline will operate a narrowbody fleet of Airbus A320s and a widebody fleet of Boeing 777 and 787.