The Air New Zealand DC-10 aircraft crashed into Mt Erebus in Antarctica on November 28, 1979.
Airline chief executive Rob Fyfe apologised to the families of the 257 victims, at a service in Auckland today to launch a sculpture commemorating the disaster.
He told the gathering the airline made mistakes and apologised to families who did not get enough support after the crash.
"Sorry to everyone affected who did not receive the compassion and support they should have from Air New Zealand," he said.
Prime Minister John Key also spoke about the "terrible waste of human life".
"We cannot bring them back, but we can honour and remember these brave people," he said.
Kathryn Carter, whose father Captain Jim Collins piloted the doomed plane, said Air New Zealand handled the situation very badly after the crash.
"It has been a hard 30 years for us. It was a culture of blame back then," she said.
"The crew were blamed for the accident, which wouldn't happen today. The sculpture represents forward thinking and moving on in a positive way."
