New Zealand Air Force Boeing 757 visits Brazil & South America on diplomatic tour
While the world’s eyes are cast on Iran, activity hasn’t stopped elsewhere. Yesterday, Brasília, Brazil’s capital, received one of the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s (RNZAF) Boeing 757-200s as the ageing aircraft embarked on a South American tour.
Rare New Zealand Boeing 757 tours South America
According to reporting by Aeroflap, the Boeing 757 is carrying a delegation led by the New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs, Winston Peters.
On the 28th of February, one of two ageing RNZAF Boeing 757-200s took off from New Zealand to Papeete in French Polynesia, and then from Papeete to Mataveri on Easter Island/Rapa Nui.
Mataveri International Airport is notable for being the remotest airport in the world, as defined by distance to another airport.
From Easter Island, the Kiwi flight flew to Buenos Aires in Argentina, where it stayed for a day before hopping over to Montevideo in neighbouring Uruguay. After another day there, the flight flew to Brasilia on the 4th of March. There, Peters is to meet the Brazilian Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira.
In all these flights (Christchurch-Papeete-Mataveri-Buenos Aires-Montevideo-Brasilia), the Boeing 757 had the callsign “KIW839.”
Aeroflap says that after visiting Brazil, the aircraft will fly to Chile before heading back home.
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Boeing 757 to be replaced by Airbus A321XLRs
After some embarrassing breakdowns carrying the New Zealand Prime Minister on international diplomatic missions, New Zealand has decided to replace its two Boeing 757-200s with A321XLRs.
These are expected to arrive in 2028, and last year, the RNZAF revealed the livery for the aircraft that will continue to unironically sport the RNZAF’s roundel featuring the flightless kiwi bird.
This is a part of a larger defence spending boost that will see the country’s military expenditure rise from around 1% of GDP to around 2%.
New Zealand is also replacing its SH-2G Super Seasprite maritime helicopters with five new MH-60R Seahawk, upgrading its two ANZAC-class frigates, and purchasing drones.
The RNZAF has recently received the last of its C-130J-30 Super Hercules, replacing its old Hercules aircraft as well as its four P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, replacing its old P-3 Orions.
RNZAF to dispatch flights to the Middle East
While the New Zealand Air Force is far removed from the air campaign waging over Iran, it is not completely disconnected from it.
On the 2nd of March, the RNZAF posted on Facebook, “At the request of the Government, we are preparing to deploy two C-130J Hercules aircraft to the Middle East region to be ready to help New Zealanders stranded by the conflict.”
The C-130Js are used in supplying the twin Kiwi Scott Base and American McMurdo Stations in Antarctica. New Zealand maintains a large claim over Antarctica called the Ross Dependency.
Separately, New Zealand not only uses its Boeing 757-200s to fly diplomatic missions, but it also uses them to support its Scott Base.
According to data from FlightRadar24, since mid-February, the Boeing 757 now in Brazil has flown between the South Island city of Christchurch and New Zealand’s McMurdo Station in Antarctica. Christchurch is one of the key gateways to Antarctica.