Body-painted air hostesses upset Kiwis

Kiwi airline Air New Zealand has ruffled feathers with a decision to parade its staff in nothing but body paint to boost sales.

In a risque new TV marketing campaign, airline ground staff and cabin crew can be seen going about their work wearing painted-on uniforms.

Passengers also get their in-flight safety video directions from scantily-clad staff.

But the cheeky campaign has left many Kiwis unimpressed, according to reports in the Sunday Star-Times newspaper.

"The last thing I want to see when I fly is some fat Air NZ flight attendant's rear end," one disgruntled customer posted online.

"I will be booking with Jetstar and Pacific Blue for all of my future domestic flying."

Another said: "Enough is enough, this is our national airline, not a strip joint! I for one won't bother booking with you again."

One person even laid an official complaint with New Zealand's advertising watchdog that children would find the ads "disturbing".

"All genital areas were hidden but they left nothing to the imagination and (it) conjured pictures that none of us needed," the complainant said.

But Air New Zealand defends its Nothing to Hide campaign, saying it highlights the transparency of the airline's all-inclusive domestic airfares.

AAP