Air New Zealand has turned a Tasman crossing into a full-scale inflight concert, staging a one-off SYNTHONY in the Sky service at 30,000 feet.
The airline transformed NZ1331 into a buzzing live venue, with a cabin full of SYNTHONY fans and a line-up of headline performers. The experience sold out in six hours.
What is SYNTHONY?
SYNTHONY is a live concert format created by New Zealand-based Duco Events and co-founded by Air New Zealand pilot Captain David Elmsly. It fuses electronic dance music, pop and classical orchestration into a single performance. It typically features DJs and vocalists backed by a live orchestra. It tours major arenas and outdoor venues in New Zealand and Australia, including Sydney.
Concert in the cabin
The inflight programme delivered a full SYNTHONY set in the sky, led by Shapeshifter’s P Digsss, electronic icon DJ Dick Johnson and powerhouse vocalist Emily Williams.
A surprise segment brought instrumentalists Lewis McCallum and Matthew Ottignon into the aisle with sax, flute and clarinet, adding the live orchestral elements that define SYNTHONY’s format.
Passengers watched the performance play out in real time inside a standard commercial cabin. The set ran at cruising altitude and held the room like a festival stage.
SYNTHONY co-founder and Air New Zealand pilot Captain David Elmsly, who created the format, said seeing the concept take off inflight was a full circle moment.
“When we first created SYNTHONY, I never imagined we’d one day bring it into the air. To see it come alive mid flight, with customers dancing, smiling and soaking up every moment, was incredibly special. It’s a true full circle moment for me and a celebration of what can happen when creativity and aviation come together.”
Tech built for the sky
The onboard set-up relied on transmission technology that Air New Zealand describes as a world first for inflight entertainment of this kind.
The airline carried out extensive testing before the event to ensure the system could deliver live audio throughout the cabin while meeting aviation safety and operational requirements.
Instead of a pre-recorded playlist or standard seatback programming, the technology allowed performers to deliver a real-time set that reached every seat.
This pushed SYNTHONY off the traditional stage and into the aircraft environment, with the cabin becoming both venue and audience.
Air New Zealand Chief Customer and Digital Officer Jeremy O’Brien said the activation delivered on the airline’s ambitions for the partnership.
“This flight showcased the power of connection. It brought together Kiwi artistry, a fiercely proud homegrown concept, and an audience who were ready for something unforgettable.
“The flight experience sold out in just six hours, showing how much our customers value these once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
“We are proud to support SYNTHONY as it takes Aotearoa’s creativity to the world, and the flight’s energy showed just how strongly people respond when travel offers something truly new.”
Partnership in motion
The project sits inside Air New Zealand’s partnership with Duco Events’ SYNTHONY series, which has grown from local stages into a global touring experience.
The airline positioned the flight as a proud moment in that relationship, putting Kiwi talent, a New Zealand-born concept and a cabin of fans in the same space for a single high-altitude performance.
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Duco Events CEO Craig Cotton said the flight was a defining moment for SYNTHONY.
“Seeing SYNTHONY take flight, literally, was a defining moment for our journey. Air New Zealand didn’t just transport our audience, they elevated the entire experience. This partnership proves what’s possible when two brands back creativity, innovation, and Kiwi talent.”
For Air New Zealand, the activation linked the inflight experience directly with a major event on the ground. After landing, customers moved straight into an evening at SYNTHONY at the Sydney Opera House forecourt.
That sequence turned a single Tasman crossing into a full-day SYNTHONY itinerary in the air and on the harbour.
The airline framed the flight as a celebration of music, creativity and connection that brought people together across both legs of the experience.
Captain Elmsly said the inflight execution showed how far the original idea had travelled.
“What began on local stages has since grown into a global phenomenon, and this flight brought Kiwi talent and fans together for a unique moment,” he said.
Air New Zealand and Duco Events have not announced any repeat SYNTHONY in the Sky services.
KARRYON UNPACKS: A sold-out SYNTHONY in the Sky service turns one Tasman crossing into a proof point for high-altitude, event-led flying.
