As part of this five-year partnership, Tata Consultancy Services will help streamline operations, drive workforce transformation, accelerate artificial intelligence adoption, and ensure seamless technology-driven experiences for more than 15 million travelers annually
Article contents:
- Partnership introduction
- Partnership agreement details
- Tata Consultancy Services in New Zealand
- Executive statements
- Digital transformation scope
- Workforce transformation
- Tata’s aviation expertise
- About Air New Zealand
- About Tata Consultancy Services
- Frequently asked questions
Partnership introduction
Tata Consultancy Services, a leading global IT services, consulting, and business solutions organization, has announced a five-year partnership agreement with Air New Zealand aimed at modernizing the airline’s digital infrastructure and elevating its position at the forefront of AI-driven innovation. This collaboration is particularly significant as it targets enhancing Air New Zealand’s digital capabilities, improving customer experience, and achieving operational efficiency across all aspects of its business, including fleet management, crew scheduling, and ground services.
Partnership agreement details
The agreement was announced during an official signing ceremony held at Tata Consultancy Services’ headquarters in Banyan Park, Mumbai, in the presence of New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Tata Sons Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran, and Tata Consultancy Services Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director K. Krithivasan. This agreement will support Air New Zealand’s vision and efforts to become the world’s most digitally advanced airline in terms of services and technologies.
Tata Consultancy Services in New Zealand
This partnership will reinforce Tata Consultancy Services’ commitment to New Zealand, building on its position as a trusted digital transformation partner for over 37 years, during which it has made prominent contributions to driving innovation across various sectors. Through its office in Auckland and a team of 460 professionals, Tata Consultancy Services provides its services to more than 20 leading blue-chip clients in the region across banking, retail, construction, manufacturing, and local government sectors.
Through its COIN™ co-innovation network, Tata Consultancy Services collaborates closely with top universities in New Zealand to develop research in cybersecurity, sustainability, and artificial intelligence. Tata Consultancy Services also led the development of the Asia Pacific Digital Sustainability Index in 2022, which contributed to reshaping and formulating the region’s approach toward achieving sustainable digital transformation.
In addition to commercial operations and activities, Tata Consultancy Services is committed to nurturing digital talent in New Zealand. Its flagship STEM programs, along with its regional educational initiatives goIT^TM^ and goIT^TM^ Girls, serve as an inspiration for students to encourage them to engage and work in the fields of technology and innovation.
Executive statements
Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran stated: “Tata Consultancy Services’ expertise in advanced technologies will deliver numerous benefits in terms of improving the customer experience, simplifying operations, and strengthening our commitment to cybersecurity and data protection. This partnership aligns with our future vision of becoming a digital airline. We began working with Tata Consultancy Services in September 2024, and within just a few months, we have witnessed the depth and level of their skills and expertise in digital solutions. Over the long term, Tata Consultancy Services will be an essential partner in helping us achieve the digital transformation of our cargo operations and enhance our digital retail capabilities. We are optimistic about the benefits this partnership will bring to our customers and the aviation industry.”
For his part, Tata Consultancy Services Chief Executive Officer K. Krithivasan said: “We are excited to partner with Air New Zealand on its journey to becoming a digitally advanced airline. Leveraging our aviation expertise alongside our ability to pioneer innovation at scale, Tata Consultancy Services will enable Air New Zealand to set new standards for efficiency, sustainability, and customer engagement. We also aim to reimagine operations, enhance passenger experiences, and build a more resilient and robust airline by harnessing artificial intelligence, automation, and cloud computing. Undoubtedly, this partnership reflects our commitment to helping global enterprises adapt, grow, and discover new opportunities through technology.”
Digital transformation scope
Air New Zealand operates a global network, providing passenger and cargo air transport services across 49 domestic and international destinations. The airline transports more than 15 million passengers annually across more than 3,400 weekly flights. This landmark transformation falls within the framework of Air New Zealand’s commitment to providing safe, innovative, and technology-driven experiences for travelers worldwide.
Tata Consultancy Services will be tasked with simplifying and streamlining Air New Zealand’s digital services by managing a diverse operating environment comprising over 600 applications, integrating AI-driven automation and cloud computing technologies into core airline operations. This direction will enhance innovation in cargo services, disruption management, retail offerings, maintenance systems, and crew operations.
Workforce transformation
Workforce transformation will form a key pillar of the cooperation agreement, with Tata Consultancy Services leading large-scale upskilling programs aimed at enhancing digital capabilities across Air New Zealand teams in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and digital engineering. Areas of cooperation also include improving digital retail experiences and loyalty programs for Air New Zealand.
Tata’s aviation expertise
Building on three decades of experience in the aviation sector, Tata Consultancy Services collaborates with leading global airlines, offering consulting frameworks, cognitive business suites, and technological and engineering services. Tata Consultancy Services relies on specialized industry solutions such as TCS Aviana™, a unified, autonomous, cloud-native digital platform for smart airline operations.
Tata Consultancy Services features deep aviation expertise alongside its AI-powered technological capabilities, which will serve as an enabler for Air New Zealand, unlocking new growth horizons and driving innovation across its business ecosystem.
About Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand’s story began in 1940, when its planes first flew between Auckland and Sydney on a Short S30 flying boat. Since then, the company has become renowned for its warm New Zealand hospitality and today operates 98 aircraft ranging from Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and Airbus A320s to ATRs and Q300s, providing customers with the highest levels of comfort on the newest and most efficient turbo-prop and jet aircraft.
The company boasts a modern, fuel-efficient aircraft fleet with an average age of 6.7 years. Air New Zealand’s global passenger and cargo network spans across New Zealand. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company transported more than 17 million passengers annually across 3,400 weekly flights.
Air New Zealand was named the world’s safest airline for 2022 by Australian rating agency AirlineRatings.com, highlighting its intense focus on safety, and won the award for New Zealand’s best corporate reputation in the same year for the eighth consecutive year. Air New Zealand features a tightly integrated domestic business network connecting customers and cargo to 20 different regions across New Zealand.
Internationally, the company operates direct flights to major cities in Australia, Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the United States, and through its strong alliance partnerships, offers customers more choices and convenience to connect to hundreds of remote destinations. Air New Zealand places a special focus on sustainability, and its sustainability framework helps guide the company’s efforts in tackling some of New Zealand’s and the world’s most complex challenges.
Air New Zealand’s Airpoints loyalty program is New Zealand’s most valuable, with 3.5 million members. The program allows members to earn AirpointsDollars™ and Status points to unlock VIP benefits both in the air and on the ground. Air New Zealand aircraft proudly feature their distinctive tail livery, the Māori symbol of the hammerhead shark, representing strength, perseverance, and resilience.
About Tata Consultancy Services
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is an IT services, consulting, and business solutions organization that has partnered with many of the world’s largest businesses in their digital transformation journeys for over 55 years. It offers a consulting-led, cognitive-enabled, portfolio of business, technology, and engineering services and solutions delivered through its unique Location Independent Agile™ delivery model, recognized as a benchmark of excellence in software development.
A part of the Tata group, India’s largest multinational business group, TCS has over 608,000 of the world’s best-trained consultants in 55 countries. The company generated consolidated revenues of $27.9 billion US dollars in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, and is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange in India.
Through its proactive stance on climate change and award-winning community work across the world, TCS has earned a place in leading sustainability indices such as the MSCI Global Sustainability Indices and the FTSE4Good Emerging Index. For more information, visit http://www.tcs.com.
Frequently asked questions
1. What is the duration of the partnership between Tata Consultancy Services and Air New Zealand?
静岡The partnership spans five years and aims to modernize the airline’s digital infrastructure.
2. How will Air New Zealand benefit from this partnership?
静岡The airline will benefit by enhancing its digital capabilities, improving customer experience, achieving operational efficiency across various aspects of its business, and leveraging artificial intelligence, automation, and cloud computing technologies.
3. What is the TCS Aviana™ platform that Tata Consultancy Services will use?
It is a unified, autonomous, cloud-native digital platform for smart airline operations, forming part of Tata’s specialized solutions offered in the aviation sector.
4. How many travelers does Air New Zealand transport annually?
静岡The airline transports more than 15 million passengers annually on over 3,400 weekly flights across 49 domestic and international destinations.
5. What are the key areas of cooperation between the two companies?
Key areas of cooperation include simplifying and streamlining digital services, leading upskilling programs, enhancing digital capabilities in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and digital engineering, and improving digital retail experiences and loyalty programs.
