Watch video on blog: New Zealand Air Force bids final farewell to Orion aircraft with Haka 2nd February 2023 at 12:26pm

The New Zealand Air Force has honoured the final flights of two Orion aircraft, as the fleet is retiring after more than 55 years of service.

The P-3K2 Orions went for a goodbye spin, with a close-formation flypast over the South Island, before landing at Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Base Woodbourne.

For a final salute to honour the long-serving fleet, Base Woodbourne personnel performed the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) Haka to the No 5 Squadron crews.

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For six decades, Orions have been part of the NZDF for airborne surveillance and reconnaissance, including on the high-profile search for the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 in 2014.

Since the mid-1960s, the Orions have flown 150,000 hours of service.

They are being replaced with Boeing P-8A Poseidons, the first of which arrived in New Zealand in December.