Thousands of permanent Air New Zealand staff will get a thousand dollars worth of company shares

Chief executive Greg Foran says it's to say thank you for the job they've done over the past 18 months of the Covid-19 pandemic.

He says the staff have gone above and beyond.

Foran says that ranges from pilots who've had over a hundred Covid-19 tests, those loading cargo at all hours, or those working in operation centres rescheduling flights.