Wellington Airport's giant eagles to depart terminal
From News@63:10/102 to All on Mon May 5 12:44:04 2025
By 1News Reporters
11:29am
Wellington's famous eagles will take flight from the airport this week after
12 years in the terminal.
They will be replaced by a new display that is currently being kept under wraps.
Wellington Airport chief executive Matt Clarke said that the departure of the birds (and their passenger Gandalf) will be emotional for staff.
"They have been a huge success and travellers from around the world have
loved admiring them. After 12 years it's the right time for them to fly the nest.
"We're working with Weta Workshop on some exciting plans for a unique,
locally themed replacement to take their place."
The eagles were created by Weta Workshop as a tie-in with the Hobbit movies
and unveiled in December 2013.
Each bird weighs 1.2 tonnes and has a 15-metre wingspan, with a combined
total of 1000 feathers.
Weta Workshop co-founder and chief creative officer Richard Taylor said it's
a "bittersweet moment" saying goodbye to them.
"There are many more stories to be told, and we're looking forward to working with Wellington Airport on bringing a new chapter to life."
The eagles will be taken down and disassembled on Friday May 9 and placed
into storage, with long-term plans for them still yet to be decided.
"We'll unveil what's next later this year so keep watching the skies," Clarke said.
Tolkien fans will be relieved to know that Smaug the Magnificent will remain
in the check-in area.