A new agreement gives Air NZ access to parts of the US not previously available with its current airline partners.

A Qantas pilot who had repeated urges to crash his planes was allowed to continue working for three years after doctors declared him fit to fly.

High winds caught Stacey Hopper's plane as it took off, causing it to dip and clip the van that had dropped him at the airstrip, a good friend says.

Air NZ reported its first-half profit almost doubled as fuel costs tumbled and the airline reined in labour costs.