Tasman Empire Airways Limited (1940–1965), better known by its acronym TEAL, is the former name of Air New Zealand.

TEAL was formed by the Intergovernmental Agreement for Tasman Sea Air Services (also known as the Tasman Sea Agreement), which is a treaty signed by the governments of the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand in London on 10 April 1940. TEAL was first registered in Wellington as a limited liability company on 26 April 1940. The company's purpose was originally to transport mail, passengers, and cargo across the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand during World War II. The treaty was originally intended to end within three months after hostilities with Germany ended, but it was extended in 1949 and ultimately ended on 31 March 1954, with control and ownership passing into normal commercial arrangements.

Shares in the company were originally held by the New Zealand Government (20%), Union Airways (19%), BOAC (38%) and Qantas (23%). After World War II shareholding passed to equal ownership by the New Zealand and Australian governments. Four Short Sandringham aircraft and Short Solent aircraft were acquired, as well as an ex-Royal New Zealand Air Force Consolidated PBY Catalina for survey flights.

Routes and services Tasman Service

Auckland–Sydney The inaugural Tasman service between Auckland's Mechanics Bay airport and Sydney's Rose Bay Water Airport on 30 April 1940 was flown by Aotearoa, one of its two Short S.30 flying boats. There was a connection at Sydney with the Qantas/BOAC Empire Air Route or Empire Air Mail Scheme to England which meant that there was, for the first time, a regular through-air service between New Zealand and England. That lasted less than six weeks, for it was no longer possible to fly through the Mediterranean when Italy entered World War II in June 1940. The Horseshoe route, between Sydney and Durban, South Africa (via Singapore, Calcutta, and Cairo) provided a solution.

The first four months of operation saw a weekly return service between Auckland and Sydney. This was expanded to thrice fortnightly with connections to San Francisco using Pan Am flights from Auckland (Pan Am was not flying into Australia). The connection to San Francisco ended in December 1941 when Japan entered the war.

In the first year, the annual report revealed that 130 trans-Tasman flights had been completed carrying 1,461 passengers for a profit, prior to tax and dividends, of NZ£31,479. By 1944, the trans-Tasman frequency had increased to three weekly return flights.

Wellington–Sydney From 1940–1950, TEAL operated a single Tasman service, between Auckland and Sydney, with Short flying boats. From 1950 to 1954, Wellington was also linked by flying boat to Sydney. The intended Wellington–Sydney flying boat service commenced on 3 October 1950 with the departure of TEAL Short Solent IV, RMA Ararangi, from Wellington. It carried between 40,000 and 50,000 letters, mostly first-day covers, weighing 660 lbs and 86 lbs of second-class mail.

Wellington resumed international service, at first only to Sydney, in 1960

Christchurch–Melbourne On 20 December 1950, 39–41 passengers on a British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines Douglas DC-6 airliner chartered by TEAL, left the recently dedicated Christchurch Airport on a direct flight to Melbourne, and what would become a regular TEAL air service relieving South Island from international air-service isolation. The DC-6, RMA Resolution, departed for Melbourne at 10:10 am, arriving 6 hours and 35 minutes later.

Christchurch–Sydney From 1954, newly acquired Douglas DC-6 aircraft were introduced to a new Christchurch–Sydney service and the Auckland–Sydney service; TEAL now operating its own Christchurch–Melbourne and Auckland–Melbourne services.

Auckland–Brisbane A service between Auckland and Brisbane followed in 1959.

Christchurch–Brisbane A service between Christchurch and Brisbane followed in 1959.

Coral Route

The New Zealand National Airways Corporation had initiated Pacific Island flights flying Douglas DC-3 aircraft, from Auckland to Nadi (Fiji), Faleolo (Samoa), Aitutaki, and Rarotonga (Cook Islands). These routes were later taken over by TEAL, which wanted to fly to Tahiti, but there was no airstrip at Papeete, so a flying boat was necessary. After completion of a survey flight by a TEAL-operated ex-RNZAF Catalina ZK-AMP in 1951, the Coral Route flight from Auckland to Papeete, Tahiti, via Laucala Bay at Suva, Fiji, Satapuala at Apia, Samoa, and Akaiamai at Aitutaki in the Cook Islands, was inaugurated by TEAL on 27 December 1951, using the Short Solent flying boats long used between Auckland and Sydney. In Samoa, the plane landed on the sea and a small motor boat operated by Fred Fairman would carry the passengers to shore. They would alight and go through customs in a small shed. The Faleolo airport was still a grass strip.

A TEAL staff competition gave the route the name the Coral Route. The winning entry came from Eric Mullane, head steward, who was inspired by the beauty of islands (coral) and of the song-filled (choral) welcome that greeted visitors to the islands. It became the only air route into Tahiti, with Americans and others from Northern Hemisphere flying by landplanes into Nadi in Fiji, making the short trip across to Suva to join the flying boat at Laucala Bay, for its fortnightly flight along the Coral Route, leaving on a Thursday morning for Samoa, alighting on the Satapuala lagoon about 2:00pm. Passengers were driven by cab through Samoan coastal villages to Apia, where they enjoyed respite and dinner at Aggie Grey's hotel until 2:00am when they were driven back out to Satapuala for a pre-dawn take-off to the Akaiami lagoon at Aitutaki where they went ashore for breakfast and an optional swim until mid-morning takeoff for Papeete, timed to ensure that arrival was after the end of the siesta period at 2:00pm. After launching ashore and completing Customs, passengers had to wait a further hour while their luggage was sprayed against horticultural pests, a time usually spent by the majority across the road from the Customshouse at Quinn's Bar. In all, a 30-hour leisurely introduction to life in the South Seas which made the Coral Route a legendary travel experience.

On 15 September 1960, the final Coral Route flight by the Solent Aranui returned to Auckland. It was one of the world's last long-range scheduled international flying boat services. Landplane flights were extended from Nadi, Fiji, to Pago Pago, American Samoa, and Papeete, Tahiti. In late 1964, the French cancelled TEAL's licence to Tahiti and the Coral Route service was terminated at Pago Pago. Air New Zealand was permitted to return to Tahiti in 1967.

Hibiscus Service In 1954, TEAL replaced its Mechanics Bay, Auckland to Suva, Fiji, flying boat service, with Douglas DC-6 landplanes from Whenuapai to Nadi. The Hibiscus Service provided first and tourist-class travel, especially appealing to folk pursuing a Pacific island dream holiday.

Norfolk Island Service The New Zealand National Airways Corporation ceased air mail, passenger and cargo services to Norfolk Island in early September 1955. TEAL resumed the regular air service from Auckland in November with four-engined Douglas DC-6 Skymaster aircraft. TEAL's service was initially weekly, then fortnightly.

Fleet Aircraft TEAL operated flying-boats and landplanes:

Short S.30 Empire Class flying-boat

The first services were flown by Short S.30 Empire Class flying boats. TEAL operated two of these between 1939 and 1947. They were given the Māori names, Aotearoa (long white cloud) for ZK-AMA, Serial S886, and Awarua (two rivers) for ZK-AMC, Serial S994. A third S.30 ordered by TEAL, Serial S885, was diverted to war duties in the North Atlantic and later destroyed.

The modern flying boat interior had been designed by New-Zealand-born British architect Brian O'Rorke, following the success of his interior design for the Orient Steam Navigation Company's RMS Orion in 1935. Imperial Airways had engaged O'Rorke in the interior design, planning and detail of their new airliners and flying boats.

Short S.25 Sandringham Mk IV Tasman Class flying-boat

In 1946, TEAL acquired four Short S.25 Sandringham IV 'Tasman Class' flying boats. They were a fully streamlined conversion passenger transport variation of the Short Sunderland. Consideration was given to landplane operations but the government delayed the decision to move to land as the UK government offered generous terms on purchasing new types in development such as the Avro Tudor and Handley Page Hermes. The Sandringhams were given generic names, ZK-AMB Serial ML761 Tasman, -AMD Serial NJ255 Australia, -AME Serial NJ179 New Zealand, and -AMH JM715 Auckland. However they were unsuited for the harsher trans Tasman crossings. They were grounded for six months in 1948 due to engine cooling issues and disposed of at the end of 1949 when a more suitable custom built version of the Short Solent became available.

PBY Catalina|Consolidated Boeing PB2B-1 Catalina TEAL flew two Boeing-built Consolidated PB2B-1 Catalinas, on loan from the RNZAF, for training and survey work from 1947 to 1949. They were registered as ZK-AMI and ZK-AMP Maroro (Flying Fish – TEAL's emblem) on the civil aviation list. ZK-AMI was never named.

Short S.45 Solent Mk IV flying-boat

The Short S.25 Sandringham IV was replaced by the Short S.45 Solent IV, of which TEAL acquired four—ZK-AML Aotearoa II, -AMM Ararangi, -AMN Awatere and -AMO Aranui. TEAL management were hoping to move to land based operations after the unsuccessful operation of the Sandringham. An original plan was to operate Douglas DC-4 aircraft from Auckland's Whenuapai joint service airport alongside other overseas international operators. However, a Buy British policy and support for rebuilding the British aircraft industry forced the airline to continue operating flying boats. Proposals to fly the mammoth Saunders-Roe Princess on a subsidised trial basis, and produce a six jet engine powered flying boat, the Saunders-Roe Duchess, to add jet speed to an already antiquated mode of air transport, were also considered. A New Zealand Government promise, that the Solent would be the last water based aircraft the airline would operate, ended any thought of future flying boat development in New Zealand. The Solents were delivered during 1949 with one setting a new trans-Tasman crossing record of 5 hours 37 minutes. With one exception, the Solents were withdrawn from service with the introduction of the Douglas DC-6 landplanes in 1954. The exception, ZK-AMO Aranui, continued flying the Coral Route from its base at Suva, Fiji, until 1960. TEAL introduced the landplane based Hibiscus Service to Nadi, Fiji.

Short S.45 Solent Mk III flying-boat In 1951, TEAL purchased an extra Solent flying boat from BOAC to ease pressure on growing passenger numbers and help with the new Wellington based Tasman Service operating from Evans Bay. ZK-AMQ Aparima carried on in TEAL service until 1957, and on the Coral Route as the backup to ZK-AMO Aranui based at Suva, Fiji.

Douglas DC-6