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Air New Zealand started as TEAL (Tasman Empire Airways Limited) in 1940. TEAL was created as a joint venture between BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation), Qantas Empire Airways, and the New Zealand government. Service was launched from Auckland, New Zealand, to Sydney, Australia, in April of 1940, with the Short S. 30 flying boat "Aotearoa" (the Maori name for New Zealand). In 1953, TEAL became owned jointly by the New Zealand and Australian governments. In 1961, the New Zealand government bought out the Australian government share of TEAL, and, in 1965, the company changed its name to Air New Zealand. Have you ever been to New Zealand? Image: Air New Zealand postcard, c. 1989. Gift of the William Hough Collection. 2008.055.136 This image was posted on February 13, 2018.