Air NZ dumps rap safety video

Air New Zealand is pulling its controversial safety rap video from planes and replacing it with a previous version after heavy criticism.

The video featuring local musicians Kings, Randa and Theia rapping about plane safety over beats from Run DMC and Sisters Underground, is being removed from flights at the end of today.

It was shot in about nine days from Auckland to Dunedin and filming was also done in Hokitika, Balclutha and Naseby in Central Otago where about 300 people descended on the small town.

Scenes were filmed in the small town of Naseby in September last year, with hundreds of people involved in the one-day shoot with filming also taking place at the Naseby Indoor Curling Rink. 

In Dunedin filming took place at St Clair Beach, with scenes also shot further south at the Balclutha Bridge. 

Air New Zealand began producing the videos in 2009 and the rap version was its 18th.

It has been replaced with a previously released safety clip called Summer of Safety starring Kiwi model and TV presenter Rachel Hunter and used in 2016.

Air New Zealand said its decision was based on a new campaign to stimulate domestic travel and promote tourism to Northland.

The axing comes after rapper Denzel Curry, one of the headlining performers at Auckland's Laneway Festival on Monday, criticised the video which screened on a flight to Australia.

Others to have commented include hip-hop singer Anderson Paak and the tour manager for actor and rapper Donald Glover.

A scathing New Zealand Herald column called the safety video "unbearable" and called for the clip to disappear before it affected the careers of the artists involved.

Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones also wasn't a fan.

"I don't want to be too petty," Jones said in November. "But the reality is the trivialises safety; I think it's a juvenile mishmash and it's toneless."

Jones said at the time that he had sat next to quite a few tourists on planes, many of whom were confused by the video.

"Based on my quite scientific assessment of travellers' views about that video, I have never heard the F-word more frequently and they're not saying 'first class'."

The minister said he had enjoyed some of the airline's safety videos - including the one with Hunter.

"I liked the one about up North, the one with Rachel Hunter, her hanging out with the Maoris," he said.