Air New Zealand’s customers will soon be able to sip organic, fairly traded coffee at 30,000ft, after the airline signed a contract, with Hummingbird Coffee, to serve its coffees on its international Business Premier and Premium Economy cabins, as well as in its airport lounges.

The airline conducted extensive tastings of various brands of coffee, including blind tastings with customers at altitude and with external coffee experts both on the ground and in the air, eventually working with Hummingbird to create a bespoke blend for its customers.

Air New Zealand general manager of customer experience Anita Hawthorne said showcasing Kiwi products in the customer experience is key to the way the airline can supercharge New Zealand’s success from an economic perspective, an important pillar of its sustainability framework.

“Not only is our partnership with Hummingbird improving the quality of coffee onboard for customers, importantly we are also helping to showcase a great Kiwi brand all over the globe and helping to improve grower livelihoods and environmental impacts.”