Air New Zealand has confirmed it will take up the mantel of “official airline” for Middle-earth with the announcement of a global two-movie partnership with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again.

As part of a new two-year partnership, passengers to and from the UK and North America can look forward to flying on two film-branded Boeing 777 aircraft, enjoy a very special edition of the in-flight safety video and take part in a wide range of upcoming promotions and experiences.

Air New Zealand general manager marketing and communications, Mike Tod, said: “We are excited at the prospect of so many international visitors travelling to Wellington for the November 28th 2012 world premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

“New Zealand is clearly established as the home of Middle-earth and Air New Zealand will bring the magic to life for travellers.

“This partnership follows on naturally from the success of Air New Zealand’s relationship with The Lord of the Rings trilogy in raising New Zealand’s profile as an international travel destination.

“Similarly, we will be putting millions of dollars of marketing behind the two films based on The Hobbit to promote New Zealand in new and innovative ways across the globe.”

Tod confirmed Air New Zealand is working with Weta Workshop to turn a Boeing 777-300 into a flying billboard for the first movie and a Boeing 777-200 for the second movie, and will soon commence filming of a new in-flight safety video.

“The use of social media has grown exponentially since The Lord of the Rings trilogy and will play a big part in the way we’ll be connecting fans with both The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again and destination Middle-earth over the coming two years, including a series of exclusive competitions and unique fan opportunities,” added Tod.

Sue Kroll, Warner Bros. Pictures’ president, worldwide marketing, explained Air New Zealand’s involvement is unique.

“Just as Peter Jackson is able to transport audiences to the magical world of Middle-earth, Air New Zealand brings people to the breathtaking landscape that has been home to these epic productions,” she explained.

“The promotions planned by Air New Zealand in support of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again are both eye-catching and innovative and we look forward to collaborating with them on the campaigns for both films.”