After a little over 16 hours in the air, Air New Zealand’s first direct flight from Auckland to New York City landed at JFK Airport at 8am this morning (NZT).

The NZ2 flight, currently the fourth longest in the world (Singapore-New York takes the top spot), will operate three times a week and be flown on a 789-9 Dreamliner.

The ultra-long-haul route had been initially planned to launch in 2020, but was put on ice when Covid arrived. The airline announced its new launch date in March this year.

Passengers on today’s inaugural flight included Air NZ CEO Greg Foran and chair Dame Therese Walsh, former prime minister Helen Clark and tourism minister Stuart Nash, who took Jacinda Ardern’s seat after the PM’s schedule changed due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

The flight will be celebrated at a gala event tonight in Manhattan, where Six60 will perform for invited guests.

Paul Eagle and Tory Whanau are neck and neck for the Wellington mayoralty according to modelling based on a poll by Kantar Public for TVNZ Q&A.

Kantar Public estimates that, based on its poll, Eagle would have 51% of the vote and Whanau 49% – a statistically insignificant difference making the election too close to call, the polling company says.

The poll of 500 eligible Wellington voters used the same STV system as the Wellington electorate. “First preference” had Eagle on 28%, Whanau on 26%, incumbent Andy Foster on 20% and Ray Chung on 13%.

A full 47% of those polled were undecided, wouldn’t vote, or declined to answer.

Asked for their priorities for the incoming mayor, respondents overwhelmingly listed water infrastructure as their most pressing issue.

Watch last week’s The Spinoff debate featuring the three leading candidates below.