Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand is the flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, with its main hub at Auckland Airport, it flies to 20 domestic and 28 international destinations in 18 countries, mostly around the Pacific Rim. It has been a member of Star Alliance since 1999.

Condé Nast Traveller (UK) readers ranked Air New Zealand No. 2 in the Readers' Choice Awards 2025 and No. 6 in 2026. AirlineRatings.com placed it No. 3 among full-service airlines for 2025 and No. 9 for 2026. Travel + Leisure listed it No. 7 among international airlines in 2025, with a reader score of 85.30.

The airline took its current name on 1 April 1965, when Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL) was rebranded. It merged with the domestic National Airways Corporation in 1978, was privatised in 1989 and returned to majority government ownership in 2001. Wikipedia notes that it was named Airline of the Year by Air Transport World in 2010 and 2012 and was ranked the safest airline in the world by JACDEC in 2014. In the 2017 financial year it carried 15.95 million passengers.

Sources of this text: Wikipedia · Condé Nast Traveller (UK) · AirlineRatings.com · Travel + Leisure