24 Nov 2023

New NZ-made plane to save lives in natural disasters

From Afternoons, 1:34 pm on 24 November 2023

New Zealand's only commercial aircraft manufacturing company has built a new plane to save lives during natural disasters and fight fires. It's called the SuperPac XSTOL (Extremely Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft.

It can take off and land with just a rugged, 200-metre-long runway, and has been sold to 28 countries, including places in Africa where it's used with the United Nations World Food Programme.

NZAero CEO Stephen Burrows speaks to Jesse.

The new SuperPac 750XL-II aircraft made by NZ Aero

Photo: Mark Devlin