Agree with you wholeheartedly, thedrunkfish.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/...the-year-award
"AirlineRatings.com editor-in-chief Geoffrey Thomas said New Zealand's national carrier topped nearly every category this year, saying it "punches well above its weight" and "is the industry's leading benchmark".
As to the government losing out on Air NZ, the company has paid $1.453b in dividends and over $1.6b in taxes to the NZ government since it was bailed out (due to unquestionably gross mismanaged and skulduggery by the Ozzies) in 2000. Not bad for a $850m investment which has been reduced to $485m due to the partial selldown in 2013.