40 years in Tinsel Town: Air New Zealand celebrates four direct decades to Los Angeles
On this day in 1984, the Kiwi carrier took off on its first non-stop service from Auckland to Los Angeles, cementing Air New Zealand as the longest serving non-stop carrier on the route.
While Air New Zealand first touched down in Los Angeles in December 1965, its service included refueling stops in Nadi, Tahiti, or Honolulu, so 1984 marked the first non-stop service on a Boeing 747.
Air New Zealand General Manager Long Haul Scott Carr says 40 years of flying AKL-LAX is testament to the popularity of the Air New Zealand service between the cities.
"LA has long been a popular destination for Kiwis wanting to explore the city where movie magic is made. It also serves as an important gateway for the US and beyond, connecting millions of our customers to their destinations over the past 40 years.
"Likewise, for our US customers, our LAX to AKL service has been one of our most popular routes for connecting visitors to Aotearoa. The Kiwi experience really does start onboard with Air New Zealand and there's no better way to begin a New Zealand adventure."
Air New Zealand is celebrating its feat with a competition encouraging Kiwis to share their favourite flying experience on the LA route to be in to win Premium Economy flights for four to the city.
It is also kicking off festivities at LAX with an event at the gate lounge and departure gate, celebrating the 40 year anniversary with prizes, a Kiwi inspired photo booth, and giveaways for customers heading to New Zealand.
The Auckland to LA service has had its share of weird and wonderful experiences over the years. In 2009 Air New Zealand hosted a Matchmaking Flight (complete with a singles cabin, hosted by 'The Bachelor'), LAX saw the launch of Air New Zealand's Lord of the Rings Boeing 747 livery with Viggo Mortensen in 2003, and the airline even welcomed Queen Elizabeth II onboard in 1993 on her way to Aotearoa, making it the first routine commercial flight used by a British monarch.
Since 1984, Air New Zealand has flown daily services to Los Angeles (with a brief pause during Covid-19). Today, Air New Zealand offers up to ten return services a week from Auckland – Los Angeles.
Fun facts on 40 years of flying between Auckland and LA:
- Since 1984 Air New Zealand has operated more than 40,000 flights between Auckland and LA
- The airline has carried interesting passengers on the route, including Queen Elizabeth II in 1995 and even a Sumatran Tiger on its way to Auckland Zoo in 2022
- Air New Zealand has carried more than 12 million passengers on the route since 1984
Ends
Issued by Air New Zealand Communications.
Email: media@airnz.co.nz │Twitter: @AirNZMedia
About Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand's story started in 1940, first taking to the skies between Auckland and Sydney on a flying boat - a Short S30. Known for its warm Kiwi hospitality, today, the airline has 104 operating aircraft ranging from Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and Airbus A320s to ATRs and Q300s, offering customers comfort in the latest most efficient jets and turboprops. It's a modern fuel-efficient fleet with an average age of 7.3 years. Air New Zealand's global network of passenger and cargo services centres around New Zealand. Pre-Covid, the airline flew more than 17 million passengers every year, with 3,400 flights per week. Air New Zealand was recently named the World's Safest Airline by the Australian rating service AirlineRatings.com, highlighting the airline's laser-focus on safety. Last year, Air New Zealand won Best Corporate Reputation in New Zealand – 8th year in a row.
Air New Zealand has a well-connected domestic business, connecting customers and cargo to 20 different regions around New Zealand. Internationally, the airline has direct flights to major cities across Australia, Asia, the Pacific Islands and the US, and through its strong relationships with alliance partners, offers customers more choice and convenience to connect further afield to hundreds of destinations. Air New Zealand has a particular focus on sustainability and its Sustainability Framework helps guide the airline's efforts in tackling some of New Zealand's and the world's most complex challenges. Air New Zealand aircraft are proudly identified by its distinct tail livery of the Mangōpare, the Māori symbol of the hammerhead shark which represents strength, tenacity, and resilience.
About Star Alliance
Air New Zealand is proud to be a member of Star Alliance. The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer worldwide reach, recognition and seamless service to the international traveller. Its acceptance by the market has been recognized by numerous awards, including the Air Transport World Market Leadership Award and Best Airline Alliance by both Business Traveller Magazine and Skytrax. The member airlines are: Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI and United. Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers more than 18,500 daily flights to 1,321 airports in 193 countries.