Jane Freeman will step down from the Air New Zealand board following the board meeting on August 24.

She has been a director since February 2002 and her retirement, following the recent appointment of Jan Dawson, will bring the board back to the normal number of seven directors.

Jane has made a real contribution to the board over the company's successful transition since 2002, particularly in her special skill areas of marketing, technology and people and this is part of the planned renewal of a long term stable board, said Air New Zealand chairman John Palmer.

Ms Freeman was appointed chairwoman of Pumpkin Patch earlier this year.

She has held senior roles in a number of businesses, including Telecom, ASB and Bank Direct, and is a director of Delegats Group and a previous director of Sky City Entertainment Group.