An advert for an airline competition that portrays older, single women as "cougars" who prey on young men is to close after incurring the wrath of rape victims in New Zealand.

"Cougar" has become a term for sexually aggressive older women on the hunt for younger men, with Courteney Cox recently starring in the TV comedy Cougar Town.

An online spoof documentary by Air New Zealand, promoting a competition for free tickets to a rugby tournament, tells of a so-called cougar starving herself during the day then "hunting large slabs of meat at night" by stalking young men at a bar.

The promotion by the airline's discount airfare site encouraged women aged 35 and over to send in photos of themselves to compete for tickets to next month's Wellington Sevens.

Duane Perrott of Air NZ said the campaign was designed as light-hearted humour .

"We've been overwhelmed by entries and are closing the contest," he said. "We are cognisant of the fact that some organisations have raised concerns."

New Zealand's Rape Prevention Education has labelled the advert appalling, adding that some Air NZ staff were also concerned about the promotion.

"They find it degrading and (say) it is encouraging potentially harmful behaviour, so my question is why is our national carrier promoting sexually predatory behaviour?" director Kim McGregor said.

"We have also had complaints from male survivors who have been raped by women. They are distressed that their situation is being laughed at and made out to be humorous."