"ATR has given a lot of thought to a design that works well and hits that sweet spot. It's easy to fly and is good for the environment," Mr Ward said.
The brand spanking new 68-seat ATR72-600 turboprop, which uses the energy of the engine to rotate its propellers, is the 12th plane in a planned purchase of 29 for the New Zealand airline by 2020.
Sitting just metres away was the 13th ATR72-600 which was almost ready for delivery.
Ms Williamson said after the ceremony that the recently increased Air NZ flights from the Bay to Auckland and Christchurch were doing really well. "The cheaper flights have given tourists and Kiwis the opportunity to travel.
"We will be keeping a careful eye on Hawke's Bay and look to increase frequency and capacity into Hawke's Bay if we see the need," she said.
Established in 1981, ATR has two major stakeholders: the Airbus Group and Finmeccanica.
The company's media relations manager, Yevgenia Akinshina, said the ATR has a bright future.
"We have a backlog of orders from all over the world and we are proud to be the number one aircraft builder in the world.
"Air New Zealand is a very important client to us. It has one of the biggest fleets of ATR and we consider it to be one of the leading airlines in the world. It is known for operating under the strictest safety rules."
The ATR72-600 aircraft are perfect for New Zealand domestic flights. They are built for short hops and can take up to 70 seats. However, ANZ chose to have 68-seaters so there is more cabin room. One of the major upgrades to the aircraft in the 600 series is the cockpit, which is full glass.
"There are no little buttons in the cockpit, there is a touch screen for everything," Ms Akinshina said.
"Everything is in front of the pilots so they don't lose any energy turning around. The pilot workload is reduced, there is enhanced reliability and the pilots are delighted," she said.
ATR has a huge focus on the environment.
"Every time we innovate we think about how we can be more environmentally friendly. We have a department dedicated to it. We feel this is important for travellers as well and that they will choose planes that are more green."
ATR has sold more than 1500 aircraft and has more than 200 operators in 100-plus countries.
There's much more to aviation than just selling planes. ATR's package includes training of crew and maintenance.
For Air NZ it means an expanded, modernised fleet which optimises short-haul operations and moves passengers in greater comfort.
Airbus residential manager for Air NZ, Robert De Groot, took us on a tour of the ART factory. One ATR was close to completion and we were able to see all the cables and wires hidden in the ceilings.
There are three main steps to building the aircraft.
"We are constantly testing every detail and component of the plane as it comes together," Mr De Groot said.
"Two test pilots try the plane. By the time Air NZ take delivery of them, they have been thoroughly tested for everything you can think of. There has never been a problem with them."
Contract pilots are used to fly the planes to New Zealand, which takes five to six days.
The following day, on a return trip to the factory, ATR's senior vice-president finance and chief financial officer, Giovanni Tramparulo, said the company had a fantastic future.
"We build good aircraft and one of our major focuses on the environment.
"While fuel price does have an impact on profits, you need an aircraft that is environmentally friendly and more efficient."
We also visited the training centre where we saw just how intense the pilot training programme is, from navigation to mechanician to trouble shooting - everything is covered. That's good to know because once trained they carry precious cargo.
* Linda Hall's trip to France was courtesy of Air New Zealand.
