Air New Zealand Seeks Kiwi Couple To Make History With First Ever Same Sex Marriage In New Zealand Skies At 30,000 Feet

Modern Family actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson will board an Air New Zealand domestic flight alongside a lucky Kiwi couple to celebrate the first ever same sex marriage at 30,000 feet next month.

Same sex marriage becomes legal in New Zealand on Monday, August 19, and Air New Zealand is on the hunt for a special Kiwi couple to prove that love is truly in the air by tying the knot on a flight between Queenstown and Auckland.

Air New Zealand's Head of Global Brand Development, Jodi Williams, says the airline expects to be inundated with couples wanting to have a unique wedding experience so they can demonstrate their love to the world.

"We expect this marriage at 30,000 feet to attract significant interest. Naturally, the couple's family and friends will want to be on hand for the special occasion so we have plenty of seats set aside for them. Jesse Tyler Ferguson being present will make the day even more memorable," Ms Williams says.

"Jesse has been deeply committed to campaigning for marriage equality and the fact that he is prepared to travel from the United States to be here demonstrates the historic nature of this event."

Jesse Tyler Fergusson says "Justin and I are thrilled to be taking part in witnessing this historic moment for New Zealand! After launching 'Tie The Knot', our bow tie campaign for marriage equality in the U.S., it is clear that the journey towards marriage, both in the U.S. & beyond, means so much to us.. We cannot wait to celebrate this joyous occasion with Air New Zealand!"

Kiwi couples keen to walk down the aisle on board the Air New Zealand flight are invited to visit www.flyingsocialnetwork.com and share their love story. Entries close 26 July 2013

Ms Williams says the lucky winner will also get the honeymoon of a lifetime.

"We're shouting them a honeymoon to Palm Springs in the United States. It'll be an amazing time there escaping the cold Kiwi winter."

Ends

For more information please contact Claire Byrom-Jones 0208 600 7657 or claire.byrom-jones@airnz.co.nz
Issued by Air New Zealand Public Affairs

About Star Alliance:

Air New Zealand is proud to be a member of Star Alliance. The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer worldwide reach, recognition and seamless service to the international traveller. Its acceptance by the market has been recognised by numerous awards, including the Air Transport World Market Leadership Award and Best Airline Alliance by both Business Traveller Magazine and Skytrax. The member airlines are: Adria Airways, Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAM Airlines, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI, United and US Airways. Overall, the Star Alliance network offers more than 21,900 daily flights to 1,328 airports in 195 countries.

For more information about Air New Zealand visit www.airnewzealand.com and for more information about Star Alliance visit www.staralliance.com