Gone are the days when we said the air is a free gift of nature. Compressed New Zealand Air is being sold for nearly USD 100 at the Auckland airport. A picture of Kiwiana company's pure fresh New Zealand Air in cans is going viral on Twitter. The photo posted by journalist Damian Christie shows a pack of four bottles for sale at USD 98.99.

While Aelia duty-free sales staff initially denied the claims, airport staff later checked the store and confirmed it. The Kiwiana website claims the air is "harvested above the snow line hundreds of kilometres from civilisation", in an area somewhere near Hokitika.

It is available on the website for just USD 29.50, as "the purest air you will ever breath" (sic). The packaging on the photo that is being shared widely on social media states that the cans are part of a "value pack" and buyers can "save $20". These bottles come along with facemask that lets people breathe in the air "almost [as] if they were standing right here in this pristine environment themselves".

Here is the tweet:

Kiwiana also offers five-litre cans of "medical grade air" on their website for USD 34.50 each. The company on their website says, "New Zealand has one of the most pristine environments on earth, with clear blue skies, low population and geographical location, it has some of the cleanest air on the planet. When it comes to your health why risk it? Without your health you have nothing. Life is priceless!"

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 05, 2018 09:15 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).