Air New Zealand chief pilot Captain David Morgan said the special charter flight, NZ8477 (NZVIPS), would take off from Christchurch at 1.30pm, carrying 50 Koru Care children on a scenic tour over the lower South Island.
"Koru Care is a charity that provides special experiences for children with serious medical conditions or disabilities, and Air New Zealand has partnered with Koru Care for more than 40 years.
"Saturday’s flight has been organised for children who are unable to travel overseas due to medical conditions or family circumstances, offering them the opportunity to experience the larger aircraft typically reserved for international journeys.
"We usually only operate these wide-body jets out of Auckland on our international routes, so it will be a rare sight for plane spotters in the South."
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is expected to wing its way over to the West Coast, before travelling down the middle of the South Island, flying over Queenstown at 2.15pm, before heading south to Invercargill at 2.27pm, then back up the east coast over Dunedin at 2.38pm, returning to Christchurch a short time later.
Weather permitting, the aircraft would be flying at a lower altitude to allow ground-based plane spotters to get good views of it, Capt Morgan said.
Capt Morgan will be commanding the flight and said it would be a unique experience, both for the children on board and aviation enthusiasts down below.
"It’s not every day that an aircraft of this size circles the South Island, so we encourage plane spotters to keep a lookout and give us a big wave. We’ll be watching out for you from above."
