Could Air New Zealand's Boeing 787 livery become the new NZ flag?
By David Flynn, August 11 2015
Air New Zealand could quite literally become the Kiwi flag carrier if moves to change the New Zealand flag to the iconic 'silver fern' are successful.
The country is gearing up for a national referendum in March 2016 to pit one new design – narrowed down from 40 options – against the current flag (below), which is often criticised for both being beholden to Great Britain (courtesy of the Union Jack) but also often being mistaken for the Australian flag.
And the NZ fern is considered a front-runner, appearing in five of the 40 designs under consideration.
"Like the maple leaf to Canada, the silver fern screams New Zealand, and it's not just a mere sports symbol," says Kyle Lockwood, spokesman for the Silver Fern Flag group.
"The silver fern is on our army and navy logos, our firefighter, police and sportspersons uniforms, it's on our money, it's on our passports, it's on our national airliners, and soon our fern will be on New Zealand rockets sending satellites into space, it's our national symbol and it's time we put it on our flag."
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has previously voiced his own support for the flag to pair a silver fern against a black background.
That of course neatly mirrors the livery of Air New Zealand, especially the new-look designs of the airline's Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, which come in a special-edition 'all black' paintjob...
... along with a more standard white-and-black treatment.
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David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
28 Oct 2011
Total posts 650
whatever happens...the end result still won't please/appease everyone
12 Jun 2013
Total posts 735
Union jack plus white fern seems like a good compromise.
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
14 Jan 2014
Total posts 341
BBC have a cute video on this subject:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-33851165
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
19 Feb 2014
Total posts 444
I'm sorry, but it's ridiculous to consider a sporting (mostly) image as a national flag.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
19 Mar 2014
Total posts 567
I've just been click baited.... #news.com
20 May 2015
Total posts 581
Considering how NZers get annoyed that their flag often gets mistaken for Australia's flag, I don't blame them.
The silver fern is an extremely common national symbol over in NZ so it seems like using that as the new NZ flag is reasonable from a "brand identity" perspective. Of course that's a decision for the citizens of NZ to make.
I agree with undertheradar that the end result won't please/appease everyone. Basically nothing in politics ever does.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 Oct 2013
Total posts 702
Don't worry David your not the only one to think that
Some of the other flags also look like the NZ Doc, NZ Roads and some russian sport team
21 Apr 2012
Total posts 3012
A change of flags is an excellent propostion but it would be a shame if it was the starting salvo of further constitutional changes.
The two must not be mixed up, intentionally or otherwise by vested interest.
Canada would be a fantastic example, whereby a change of flag did not result in a move towards republicanism.
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