Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones would have been spluttering into his coffee at the news Air NZ had been given another international award.
In this case it was the Air Transport World Eco Airline of the Year prize.
Among other things, the gong recognised the airline's "support for regional NZ communities".
Jones has been known to take a different view of Air NZ's treatment of some regional centres.
Jones has been reasonably quiet over summer, only taking umbrage at a petrol company which correctly noted that taxes account for a hefty portion of the retail petrol price.