Six60 Rise Up for stunning Manhattan rooftop performance

Six60 wowed a crowd of invited guests at an exclusive event in New York City to celebrate the launch of Air New Zealand's direct flight from Auckland to New York.

The chart-topping band performed at the Edge at Hudson Yards, an outdoor viewing platform 101 stories up over Manhattan - the highest in the Western Hemisphere.

The band performed at sunset to a guest of VIPs including Air NZ CEO Greg Foran, chair Dame Therese Walsh, former Prime Minister Helen Clark, Minister for Tourism Stuart Nash, and Oscar-winning actor Keisha Castle-Hughes.

Air New Zealand's kapa haka team also performed.

Earlier there was a spontaneous round of applause as the wheels of NZ2 touched down at JFK airport and the cabin crew's announcement over the PA system announced: "Welcome to New York. We made it!"

The 787 Dreamliner was the first Air NZ aircraft to ever land at JFK.

NZ2 touched down at JFK just after 4pm Saturday, local time - about 8am Sunday NZ time. The customs queue was lengthy, taking around an hour for some travellers to get through to the arrivals hall.

The national carrier's inaugural direct Auckland to JFK flight had an air of celebration throughout the flight, with Business Premier and Premium Economy passengers receiving gifts of complimentary black pyjamas and amenity kits in stylish black leather Deadly Ponies clutch bags.

Read more about what life is like in New York right now in the Herald's Travel magazine tomorrow.