Royal New Zealand Air Force A321XLR Ordered

The New Zealand government confirmed on 21 August 2025 that the Royal New Zealand Air Force will replace its two Boeing 757-200 transports with two Airbus A321XLR airliners under a lease-to-buy arrangement costing about 700 million New Zealand dollars, Stuff reported. The ageing 757s are used for troop and VIP transport, and ministers had been considering their replacement for some time. The A321XLRs are due to enter service from 2028. The decision was a government announcement; the date of the lease-to-buy contract itself was not reported.