History of Air New Zealand in Timeline
Air New Zealand, the flag carrier of New Zealand, is based in Auckland. It operates scheduled passenger flights to 20 domestic and 28 international destinations across 18 countries, largely within the Pacific Rim. The airline is a member of the Star Alliance since 1999.
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1948: Head office in Airways House
From about 1948, Air New Zealand had its head office in Airways House on Customs Street East.
April 1965: Rebranded as Air New Zealand
On 1 April 1965, Tasman Empire Airways Limited was rebranded as Air New Zealand.
April 1965: Air New Zealand succeeded TEAL
On April 1965, Air New Zealand succeeded Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL).
1965: Transpacific services to the United States and Asia began
In 1965, with the increased range of the Douglas DC-8s the airline's first jet aircraft, Air New Zealand began transpacific services to the United States and Asia with Los Angeles and Honolulu added as destinations.
1973: Acquisition of McDonnell Douglas DC-10 airliners
In 1973, Air New Zealand acquired wide-body McDonnell Douglas DC-10 airliners, introducing the new koru-inspired logo.
1973: Head office in Airways House
Until 1973, Air New Zealand had its head office in Airways House on Customs Street East.
1978: Merger with NAC
In 1978, Air New Zealand merged with the domestic New Zealand National Airways Corporation (NAC), forming a single airline.
1978: Merger with National Airways Corporation (NAC)
In 1978, the domestic airline National Airways Corporation (NAC) and its subsidiary Safe Air were merged into Air New Zealand to form a single national airline.
November 1979: Flight 901 Crash
On 28 November 1979, Air New Zealand's Flight 901 crashed into Mount Erebus, Antarctica, killing all 257 on board.
1979: Crash of Air New Zealand Flight 901
In 1979, the crash of Air New Zealand Flight 901 impacted the airline's reputation, leading to a Royal Commission of Inquiry.
1981: Introduction of first Boeing 747 airliner
In 1981, Air New Zealand introduced its first Boeing 747 airliner.
1983: DC-8 and DC-10 withdrawn
By 1983, the DC-8 and DC-10 had been withdrawn from service.
1985: Introduction of Boeing 767-200ER airliners
In 1985, Air New Zealand introduced Boeing 767-200ER airliners to fill the size gap between the Boeing 737 and 747.
1989: Privatisation of the airline
In 1989, Air New Zealand was privatised with a sale to a consortium headed by Brierley Investments.
1990: International flights assumed the NZ code
In 1990, international flights assumed the NZ code, replacing the TE code, after the merger with National Airways Corporation.
1990: Deregulation of the air transport market
In 1990, the New Zealand air transport market underwent deregulation.
1995: Acquisition of stake in Ansett Australia
In 1995, Air New Zealand acquired a 50% stake in Ansett Australia.
March 1999: Became a member of the Star Alliance
In March 1999, Air New Zealand became a member of the Star Alliance.
1999: Became a member of the Star Alliance
In 1999, Air New Zealand became a member of the Star Alliance.
2000: Ownership battle over Ansett
From 1999 through 2000, Air New Zealand became embroiled in an ownership battle over Ansett with News Limited over a possible sale to Singapore Airlines.
2000: Acquisition of Ansett Transport Industries
In 2000, Air New Zealand acquired the entirety of Ansett Transport Industries for A$680 million from News Corporation.
September 2001: Ansett Australia placed into voluntary administration
In September 2001, Air New Zealand placed Ansett Australia into voluntary administration, leading to its collapse. Air New Zealand announced a NZ$1.425 billion operating loss and was subsequently bailed out by the New Zealand Government.
October 2001: Re-nationalisation under government rescue plan
In October 2001, Air New Zealand was re-nationalised under a New Zealand government NZ$885 million rescue plan, with the government taking an 82% stake.
2001: Returned to majority government ownership
In 2001, Air New Zealand returned to majority government ownership after nearing bankruptcy due to a failed tie-up with Ansett Australia.
2002: Reconfiguration of domestic operations
In 2002, Air New Zealand reconfigured its domestic operations under a low-cost airline business plan, and the New Zealand government refused a proposal from Qantas to purchase a one-fifth stake in the carrier.
2003: Airbus A320 added to fleet
In 2003, Air New Zealand added the Airbus A320 to its fleet for short-haul international and domestic flights.
2003: Return to profitability
In 2003, Air New Zealand returned to profitability, reporting a net profit of $NZ165.7 million.
2004: Orders placed for Boeing 787 Dreamliner
In 2004, Air New Zealand placed orders for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
2004: Incident leading to revelation of seating policy
In 2004, an incident on a Qantas flight in New Zealand highlighted the policy of not seating adult male passengers next to unaccompanied children, which Air New Zealand later confirmed it also followed.
2004: Relaunch of long-haul product
In 2004, the airline announced a relaunch of its long-haul product, featuring the introduction of new seats in its business, premium economy, and economy class cabins.
October 2005: Outsourcing of Heavy Maintenance Proposed
On 19 October 2005, Air New Zealand proposed outsourcing most of its heavy maintenance on its long-haul aircraft and engines, potentially resulting in about 600 job losses in Auckland.
November 2005: Policy on seating adult males next to unaccompanied children revealed
In November 2005, it was revealed that Air New Zealand had a policy of not seating adult male passengers next to unaccompanied children.
2005: Received first Boeing 777 aircraft
In 2005, Air New Zealand received its first Boeing 777 aircraft.
March 2006: New logo unveiled
On 21 March 2006, Air New Zealand unveiled a redesigned logo featuring a Māori koru, a stylised representation of a silver fern frond unfolding.
March 2006: New Brand Identity Revealed
On March 2006, Air New Zealand revealed a new brand identity, including Zambesi-designed uniforms, a new logo, color scheme, and redesigned check-in counters and lounges.
April 2006: Code-Share Agreement Announced with Qantas
On 12 April 2006, Air New Zealand and Qantas announced they had signed a code-share agreement for their trans-Tasman routes, seeking authorization from regulatory bodies.
July 2006: Zeal320 flights re-numbered
On 31 July 2006, Zeal320 flights were re-numbered to the NZ700-999 series for trans-Tasman services, and NZ1000 series for domestic services.
October 2006: Moved to "The Hub" head office
From late September to early October 2006, Air New Zealand moved 1,000 employees to "The Hub" head office in Wynyard Quarter, Auckland.
November 2006: Withdrawal of Code-Sharing Application
On 15 November 2006, Air New Zealand announced it was withdrawing its application for a code-sharing agreement with Qantas after a draft decision by the ACCC to not approve it.
November 2008: Ownership of A320 fleet transferred back to Air New Zealand
On 26 November 2008, ownership of the Airbus A320-200 fleet was transferred back to Air New Zealand from Zeal320.
December 2008: Test flight using jatropha biofuel completed
On 30 December 2008, Air New Zealand and Boeing completed a two-hour test flight using a 50–50 mixture of jatropha biofuel with Jet A-1 in a Rolls-Royce RB211 engine of a 747-400, as part of research into aviation biofuel development.
2009: Industrial action delayed proposed low-cost carrier
Continued industrial action by staff employed in the subsidiary during 2009 permanently delayed a proposed low-cost carrier airline as a successor to Freedom Air.
2009: Air New Zealand Cup Sponsorship Ends
In 2009, Air New Zealand's title sponsorship of the Air New Zealand Cup domestic rugby union club competition concluded, though the airline remains a major sponsor of New Zealand rugby.
2009: Pacific Wave fuselage stripes removed
In 2009, the "Pacific Wave" fuselage stripes were removed from Air New Zealand's short-haul aircraft, simplifying the overall livery.
2009: Staff involved in testing fabrics and cuts of uniforms
Later in 2009 staff were involved in testing fabrics and cuts of uniforms after widespread public and staff criticism.
December 2010: Alliance between Air New Zealand and Virgin Blue approved
In December 2010, the New Zealand government approved an alliance between Air New Zealand and Virgin Blue (now named Virgin Australia).
2010: Airline of the Year award
In 2010, Air New Zealand was awarded Airline of the Year by the Air Transport World Global Airline Awards.
2011: Black as Corporate Color
In 2011, Air New Zealand began using black as its corporate color ahead of a sponsorship campaign with the All Blacks rugby union team.
2011: Introduction of Boeing 777-300ER and Economy Skycouch
In 2011, Air New Zealand introduced the Boeing 777-300ER to its fleet, as well as the Economy Skycouch.
July 2012: Rebranding with Black as Brand Color
In July 2012, Air New Zealand announced a rebranding, adopting black as the brand color and introducing a new logo typeface. The tails of the aircraft and the typeface changed to black.
2012: Air New Zealand launches flights to Norfolk Island
In 2012, Air New Zealand launched twice-weekly services from Sydney and Brisbane to Norfolk Island on its A320 aircraft after securing a contract from the Australian government.
2012: Airline of the Year award
In 2012, Air New Zealand was awarded Airline of the Year by the Air Transport World Global Airline Awards.
March 2013: Hong Kong stopover discontinued
In March 2013, Air New Zealand discontinued its Hong Kong stopover for London flights in favour of a codeshare agreement with Cathay Pacific.
June 2013: New Livery Announced
On 12 June 2013, Air New Zealand announced a new livery in conjunction with a Memorandum of Understanding with Tourism New Zealand, using the "New Zealand Fern Mark" in its livery.
September 2013: First Aircraft with New Livery Rolled Out
On 24 September 2013, Air New Zealand rolled out its first aircraft painted in the new livery, featuring a predominantly white design with a black strip and a fern mark, while some aircraft received an all-black livery with a silver fern.
November 2013: Government reduced share in Air New Zealand
In November 2013, the New Zealand Government reduced its share in Air New Zealand from 73% to 53% as part of its asset sales programme.
July 2014: Delivery of first Boeing 787-9
After a four-year delay, Air New Zealand took delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 on 9 July 2014.
September 2014: Retirement of final Boeing 747
Air New Zealand retired its final Boeing 747 in September 2014.
2014: Ranked safest airline in the world
In 2014, Air New Zealand was ranked the safest airline in the world by JACDEC.
June 2015: Sale of Safe Air to Airbus
In June 2015, Air New Zealand confirmed the sale of its Safe Air engineering subsidiary to the Australian arm of Airbus.
September 2015: Retirement of last Boeing 737
Air New Zealand retired its last Boeing 737 in September 2015.
2015: Zeal320 removed from New Zealand Companies Office
In 2015 Zeal320 was removed from the New Zealand Companies Office.
August 2016: Eagle Airways ceased operations
On 26 August 2016, Air New Zealand's wholly owned subsidiary regional airline, Eagle Airways, ceased operations.
October 2016: Air New Zealand sold remaining stake in Virgin Australia
By October 2016 Air New Zealand sold its remaining stake in Virgin Australia to investors and the Nasham Group.
March 2017: Retirement of last Boeing 767
Air New Zealand retired its last Boeing 767 in March 2017.
October 2017: In-flight Wi-Fi implementation
Since October 2017, Air New Zealand began gradually implementing complimentary in-flight Wi-Fi service on its aircraft.
2017: Passenger Count
In the 2017 financial year, Air New Zealand carried 15.95 million passengers.
April 2018: Partnership with Virgin Australia ended
On 4 April 2018, Air New Zealand ended its partnership with Virgin Australia.
May 2018: New Code-Sharing Agreement Announced with Qantas
On 31 May 2018, Qantas and Air New Zealand announced a new code-sharing agreement to provide "seamless air travel" to their customers.
October 2018: Code-Share Agreement Took Effect
In October 2018, the code-share agreement between Qantas and Air New Zealand took effect.
October 2018: Partnership with Virgin Australia ended - Effective Date
On 28 October 2018, Air New Zealand's partnership with Virgin Australia officially ended.
October 2019: Discontinuation of Los Angeles to London route announced
In October 2019, Air New Zealand announced it would discontinue its Los Angeles to London route in October 2020 and launch a new Auckland to New York route.
2019: Formal apology over the Mt Erebus disaster
In 2019, the New Zealand Government and Air New Zealand formally apologised over the Mt Erebus disaster.
2019: Air Nelson and Mount Cook Airline merged into parent's operations
In late 2019, Air Nelson and Mount Cook Airline were merged into its parent's operations.
March 2020: Sale of London Heathrow slots
In March 2020 Air New Zealand sold its London Heathrow slots for US$27 million to United Airlines, and the London route was prematurely cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
October 2020: Planned Discontinuation of Los Angeles to London Route
In October 2020, Air New Zealand was planning to discontinue its Los Angeles to London route.
2020: "Best Airline" in the Airline Excellence Awards 2020
In 2020, Air New Zealand was named "Best Airline" in the Airline Excellence Awards 2020 carried out by AirlineRatings.com.
2020: Flights to London Heathrow stopped
In 2020, Air New Zealand's flights to London Heathrow stopped due to heavy competition and a lack of demand.
February 2021: Controversy over Gas Turbines business unit repairing engines for Royal Saudi Navy
In February 2021, Air New Zealand faced criticism after its Gas Turbines unit was found to have repaired engines for the Royal Saudi Navy, leading to an investigation and the cessation of contractual support to the Saudi military.
June 2022: Refurbishment of existing cabins announced
In June 2022, Air New Zealand announced a major refurbishment of its existing cabins, including a new product named "The Skynest".
September 2022: First flight to New York
On 17 September 2022, the first flight from Auckland to New York took place, after being rescheduled due to the pandemic.
November 2022: Hull Losses and Hijackings
As of November 2022, Air New Zealand has had four hull losses and two hijackings.
2022: Air New Zealand adopted a 2030 target to reduce its emissions
In 2022, Air New Zealand adopted a 2030 target to reduce its emissions by almost 29%.
2022: Brief baggage tracker ban
In 2022, Air New Zealand briefly banned baggage trackers.
2023: Reversal of baggage tracker ban
In 2023, Air New Zealand reversed its ban on baggage trackers.
2023: Airline of the Year
In 2023, Air New Zealand was named AirlineRatings.com's Airline of the Year.
February 2024: Free Wi-Fi on board service introduction announced
In February 2024, Air New Zealand announced the introduction of free Wi-Fi on board service via Starlink satellite Internet across all its routes, expected to be implemented in 2025.
July 2024: Air NZ announces the withdrawal of its 2030 climate target
In July 2024, Air NZ announced the withdrawal of its 2030 climate target and that it would also withdraw from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
November 2024: Exploring options for return to London
In November 2024, Air New Zealand indicated it was "exploring options" for a possible return to London.
2024: Delivery of new Boeing aircraft
In 2024, Air New Zealand is set to receive the new Boeing 787-9 and 787-10 aircraft with the new cabins.
September 2025: Air New Zealand operates 115 aircraft
As of September 2025, Air New Zealand operates 115 aircraft, including Airbus A320, Airbus A321neo, Boeing 777-300ER, and Boeing 787–9 Dreamliner aircraft.
2025: Granted slots at London Gatwick Airport
Following a rejection for slots at Heathrow, in 2025 Air New Zealand was granted daily slots at London Gatwick Airport for summer.
2025: New staff uniform line-up redesign
In 2025, ANZ launched a black-purple redesign of their new staff uniform line-up incorporating tāniko co-created by Emilia Wickstead and tohunga-tā-moko Te Rangitu Netana.
2025: World's Safest Airline
In 2025, Air New Zealand was named World's Safest Airline by AirlineRatings.com.
2025: Free Wi-Fi on board service implementation expected
In 2025, the free Wi-Fi on board service via Starlink satellite Internet is expected to be implemented across all Air New Zealand routes.
2030: Air New Zealand withdrew its 2030 climate target
In July 2024, Air NZ had announced the withdrawal of its 2030 climate target and that it would also withdraw from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
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