The international trend of airlines partnering with coffee companies to provide better in-flight offerings has hit Australasia, with Air New Zealand partnering with local coffee roaster Coffee Supreme to boost its service.
To celebrate the launch, the two businesses executed a perfect pour straight through the flight deck window at Queenstown Airport in a world-first moment.
Coffee Supreme has been served in Air New Zealand lounges across New Zealand, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, as well as onboard in premium cabins, from the end of October, while November saw the launch of the partnership in economy and the airline’s domestic network.
Air New Zealand Chief Customer and Digital Officer Jeremy O’Brien says the partnership is another way to expose a high-quality local product to the world.
“There are few things that saw ‘New Zealand’ quite like a great cup of coffee,” he says.
“Partnering with Coffee Supreme means we’re not just serving coffee onboard – we’re offering the very best of New Zealand to our customers.
“Air New Zealand has a unique opportunity to showcase New Zealand products and brands wherever we fly around the world.
“It’s a privilege to back a local business that shares our passion for quality, care, and innovation, and together we’re proudly pouring a taste of home for our customers around the globe.”
Coffee Supreme will be serving its bespoke ‘Carry On’ blend for Air New Zealand. The brand says the coffee has “notes of dark chocolate, malt biscuit, and maple” and is “smooth, full-bodied, and designed to hold its own long after take-off”.
Other recent international partnerships of a similar nature include JDE Peet’s with Southwest Airlines in the United States, Lavazza with American Airlines, and Bootlegger Coffee with FlySafair in South Africa.
