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Air New Zealand’s last 777-300 aircraft, stored in the Mojave Desert during the COVID-19 pandemic, will finally return to service. After more than 855 days in storage, the plane, registration OKM, is set to land in Auckland on May 10th. After a short visit to the airline’s maintenance hangar, it will take off for its first commercial service to San Francisco on May 13th.

Air New Zealand grounded all seven of its 777 aircraft when the pandemic hit in 2020. Three were stored in Auckland, while the remaining four were stored in the warm and dry conditions of the Mojave Desert near Victorville, USA, to keep them in pristine condition.

Air New Zealand’s Chief Operations Officer, Alex Marren, says the return of all seven aircraft signals that the airline has bounced back from COVID-19, and customer demand is higher than ever. She adds that the return of the 777-300s will help build more resilience and capacity into the airline’s international operation, adding 342 seats to the schedule.

Air New Zealand engineers and a local maintenance provider have worked tirelessly to bring the aircraft back to service. Reanimating OKM alone took over seven weeks and involved more than 1500 manhours of work. The process included unwrapping the plane from its storage protection, washing it thoroughly, and putting it through a thorough servicing and maintenance program.

As a final safety check, a team of pilots ran through checks and tests similar to those done when getting a new aircraft from the factory. Overall, more than 100 Air New Zealanders were involved in bringing back the 777 aircraft somehow.

The return of the 777-300s is a welcome development for Air New Zealand, which has faced significant challenges due to the pandemic. With the increased capacity, the airline can fly more customers to popular destinations like San Francisco, Honolulu, Houston, and Tahiti.

This news follows the recent announcement that Air New Zealand will launch non-stop flights between Auckland and New York in 2024, using its new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

Air New Zealand’s CEO, Greg Foran, said the airline was committed to rebuilding its international network and providing customers with the best possible experience. “We’re thrilled to welcome back the 777-300 aircraft and to see our team’s hard work pay off. We’re excited to continue to connect New Zealanders to the world and the world to New Zealand,” he said.