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Air New Zealand is under fire for refusing to hire people with tāmoko.
The policy has been described as systemic racism and hypocritical, given its use of Koru designs on uniforms and its planes.
The company says customer facing staff are not permitted to have tattoos visible when wearing the uniform, as many international customers found body art offensive and associated it with criminal behaviour.
But it says the policy is under review.
Māori cultural adviser Karaitiana Taiuru says wearing moko is a birthright as they can represent family, identity and history.
He says not allowing Māori to display moko including including tāmoko and moko kauae is not only discriminatory but a breach of the Treaty of Waitangi.
It could also be a breach of the Human Rights Act makes it unlawful to discriminate based on race or ethnicity.
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