Air New Zealand remains confident it will get three Boeing 787 Dreamliners by the end of next year despite battery problems that have grounded the plane around the world.
The airline is scheduled to get the next model of the aircraft which is six metres longer than the current one being flown.
Being a variant of the current model means testing and certification should be quicker and although it hasn't yet flown Air New Zealand's new chief executive Christopher Luxon said production of the plane had started and he was confident the battery issue affecting other planes will soon be resolved by Boeing.
"They're feeling very confident about the right remedies for managing this issue. In our conversations with them the plan is to get some FAA approval in the next couple of weeks," he said following the release of the airline's first half results which included a profit of $100 million, more than double that of the corresponding period last year.
"If I was taking delivery of those aircraft within the next three to six months we might have some concerns but that is not our reality," he said