New Zealand airport to remove Hobbit-themed eagle sculptures

For more than a decade, the giant eagles have cast a watchful eye over visitors at Wellington Airport.

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But the giant birds will be unfastened from the ceiling on Friday to make way for a new mystery exhibit, airport authorities said.

The eagles appear as messengers in JRR Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, which were adapted to film by New Zealand's Sir Peter Jackson.

The spectacular New Zealand landscapes featured in Mr Jackson's films are a consistent draw for tourists, who are greeted at the airport by the eagle sculptures.

"It's not unusual to see airborne departures from Wellington Airport, but in this case, it will be emotional for us," Wellington Airport chief executive Matt Clarke said in a statement.