Air New Zealand traces back to Tasman Empire Airways Limited, or TEAL, founded in 1940. Its Short Empire flying boats crossed the Tasman Sea between Auckland and Sydney. Flying boats take off and land on water. In the 1950s its 'Coral Route' flew Solent flying boats through Fiji, the Cook Islands, and Tahiti. That service is still one of the most romanticized in aviation history.
The government took full ownership in 1961 and renamed the airline in 1965, entering the jet age with DC-8s. It merged with domestic carrier National Airways Corporation in 1978. Its darkest day came in 1979. A sightseeing flight crashed into Mount Erebus in Antarctica, and all 257 people aboard died. Private owners took over in 1989, and the airline nearly failed in 2001 after its Ansett Australia deal went wrong.
The government then bought back a majority stake it still holds. Air New Zealand joined Star Alliance in 1999 and reinvented itself. It is known for cheeky safety videos starring hobbits and All Blacks. Other hits include the economy-class Skycouch and an Auckland to New York route launched in 2022. Aviation reviewers have repeatedly named it airline of the year. It carries about 17 million passengers a year.