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TEAL

Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL) was the


forerunner of Air New Zealand. It was rst registered
in Wellington as a limited liability company on 26 April
1940.
The shares were originally held by the New Zealand gov-
ernment (20%), Union Airways (19%), BOAC (38%)
and Qantas (23%).
1 Initial services
The inaugural service from Auckland to Sydney on 30
April 1940 was own by Aotearoa, one of its two Short
S30 ying boats. There was a connection at Sydney with
the Qantas/BOAC route to Great Britain which meant
that there was, for the rst time, a regular through air
service between New Zealand and Britain. This lasted
less than six weeks as, when Italy entered World War II
in June 1940, it was no longer possible to y through the
Mediterranean. The TEAL service then provided a con-
nection with the Horseshoe Route.
The rst four months of operation saw a weekly return
service between Auckland and Sydney. This was ex-
panded to thrice fortnightly with connections to San Fran-
cisco using Pan Am ights from Auckland (Pan Am was
not ying into Australia). The connection to San Fran-
cisco ended in December 1941 when Japan entered the
war.
In the rst year, the annual report revealed that 130
trans-Tasman ights had been completed carrying 1461
passengers for a prot, prior to tax and dividends, of
NZ31,479.
By 1944, the trans-Tasman frequency had increased to
three weekly return ights.
After World War II shareholding passed to equal owner-
ship by the governments of New Zealand and Australia.
Four Short Sandringhams and later Short Solents were
acquired, as well as an ex-Royal New Zealand Air Force
PBY Catalina for survey ights.
2 Coral Route
The Coral Route is one of the most famous routes own
by TEAL. The New Zealand National Airways Corpo-
ration had initiated Pacic Island ights ying Douglas
DC3 aircraft, from Auckland to Nadi (Fiji), Faleolo
interior of Teal Solent preserved at MoTaT
(Samoa), Aitutaki and Rarotonga (Cook Islands). These
routes were later taken over by TEAL, which wanted to y
to Tahiti, but there was no airstrip at Papeete, so a ying
boat was necessary. After completion of a survey ight
by a TEAL-operated ex-RNZAF Catalina ZK-AMP in
1951, the Coral Route ight 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 December 27, 1951, using
the Short Solent ying boats long used between Auckland
and Sydney.
The Coral Route was born. It became the only air route
into Tahiti, with Americans and others from Northern
Hemisphere ying by land planes into Nadi in Fiji, mak-
ing the short hop across to Suva to join the ying boat
at Laucala Bay, for its fortnighly ight along the Coral
Route, leaving on a Thursday morning for Samoa, alight-
ing on the Satapuala lagoon about 2 p.m. Passengers were
driven by cab through Samoan coastal villages to Apia,
where they enjoyed respite and dinner at Aggie Greys
hotel until 2 a.m. when they were driven back out to Sa-
tapuala for a pre-dawn take-o to the Akaiami lagoon at
Aitutaki where they went ashore for breakfast and an op-
tional swim until mid-morning takeo for Papeete, timed
to ensure that arrival was after the end of the siesta period
at 2 p.m. After launching ashore and completing Cus-
toms, 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 Quinns Bar. In all, a 30-hour leisurely
introduction to life in the South Seas which made the
Coral Route a legendary travel experience.
1
2 4 LOCKHEED ELECTRA L-188 CRASH
On Thursday, September 15, 1960 the nal Coral Route
ight by the Solent Aranui returned to Auckland. It was
one of the worlds last long-range scheduled international
ying boat services.
Short SandringhamZK-AMHRMAAuckland. Aconver-
sion of a Short Sunderland III, RAF serial JM715. Oper-
ated with TEAL from 1947 to 1950. Preserved and dis-
played in Southampton at Solent Sky Museum. Latterly
Ansett Flying Boat Services VH-BRC Beachcomber, re-
tired in 1981.
Short Solent ZK-AMO RMA Aranui is now restored and
on display at the Museum of Transport and Technology
(MOTAT) in Auckland.
3 Other routes
From 19401950, TEAL operated a single route, from
Auckland to Sydney with its Short ying boats; and
from 194854 contracted an ANA DC-4 to serve
MelbourneChristchurch. From 195054 Wellington
was also served by ying boat to Sydney.
From 1954 with the introduction of the DC-6s,
ChristchurchSydney and AucklandSydney
were started, with TEAL now operating its own
ChristchurchMelbourne and AucklandMelbourne
services.
Services to Brisbane from Auckland and Christchurch
followed in 1959; and Wellington resumed international
service, at rst only to Sydney, in 1960.
Meanwhile, the ying boat service to Suva was replaced
by DC-6 to Nadi in 1954; and when the last ying boat
service closed in 1960, the ight was extended to Pago
Pago and Tahiti. In late 1964, the French cancelled
TEALs licence to Tahiti and the Coral Route service ter-
minated at Pago Pago. Air New Zealand were permitted
to return to Tahiti in 1967.
3.1 Fleet
TEAL operated both landplanes and ying boats.
Short S.30 Empire Class
The rst services were own by Short S.30 Empire Class
ying boats. Between 1940 and 1947, TEAL operated
two of these. A third S.30 was destined for TEAL but
war shortages in England led to a delay and eventual can-
cellation of its delivery.
Short S.25 Sandringham Mk IV 'Tasman Class
In 1946, TEAL acquired four Short S.25 Sandringham
IV 'Tasman Class ying boats. They were a passenger
transport variation of the Short Sunderland. However
they were grounded for six months in 1948 due to engine
cooling issues and disposed of at the end of 1949.
Consolidated Boeing PB2B-1 Catalina
TEAL ew two Boeing-built Consolidated PB2B-1
Catalinas from 1947 until 1949. They were loaned from
the RNZAF and used as training and survey aircraft.
Short S.45 Solent Mk IV
The replacements for the S.25 were the Short S.45 Solent
IV of which TEAL acquired four. They were delivered
during 1949 with one setting a newtrans-Tasman crossing
record of 5 hours 37 minutes. The Solents continued y-
ing until 1954 with the introduction of the Douglas DC-
6 landplanes. However, Solent Aranui continued on the
Coral Route until 1960.
Douglas DC-6
The Douglas DC-6 was own by TEAL between 1954
and 1961. Three were transferred to TEAL after the
break-up of British Commonwealth Pacic Airlines. The
aircraft started replacing the ying boats in May and June
and meant the transfer of Aucklands International Air-
port from Mechanics Bay to Whenuapai, where it was to
remain until 1965. In September 1956, work was com-
pleted on the skin of the DC-6s to allow a 2000 lbs in-
crease in payload. By 1961, they were handed over to the
RNZAF to be used as troop transports.
Lockheed L-188 Electra
The last new type to be operated by TEAL was the Lock-
heed L.188 Electra. Five of this type were operated be-
tween 1959 and 1972 by which time TEAL had changed
its name to Air New Zealand. The Electras were sold in
1972 to United States interests.
4 Lockheed Electra L-188 crash
On March 27, 1965, Teals Lockheed Electra L-188 ZK-
TEC Akaroa, crashed during a training ight at Whenua-
pai. The airline had done the following manoeuvre many
times before: the Electra, ying at precisely 140kts, could
be own over the runway threshold, throttled back to idle
to drop almost vertically and land on the runway. As this
would never be done on a passenger ight; the reason for
the procedure remains a mystery.
Onboard were a captain, a check captain, a ight engi-
neer, a navigator; the airlines industrial personnel o-
cer and an emergency procedures ocer standing behind
them.
As Akaroa's speed dropped below 140 knots the aero-
plane landed very heavily, collapsing the landing gear;
Akaroa shed wings, engines, tailplane and tail as she skid-
ded o the runway and across the grass towards the con-
trol tower. Somehow, the two standing ocers stayed
standing, the re extinguishers were turned on and ev-
eryone was evacuated through the cockpit windows, with
one man burning his hand on the escape rope. TEAL
salvaged what they could from the wreck and the remains
were quickly pushed into a gully behind the NAChangars
before the public saw them. The crash took place in the
early hours of the morning. The training procedure was
3
quickly deleted from TEALs manuals. TEAL purchased
a replacement Electra from Qantas after it changed its
name to Air New Zealand on 1 April 1965.
5 Ownership transfer
In April 1961 the Australian government decided to sup-
port the wholly Australian-owned Qantas airline and the
New Zealand government bought out the Australian gov-
ernments shareholding, giving New Zealand 100% own-
ership. The airline changed to Air New Zealand (its
present name) on 1 April 1965 at the same time as
Douglas DC-8s entered service. TEALs TE ight code
carried over to Air New Zealand, which continued to use
it for its international routes until 1989. Then its inter-
national ights began using the NZ code that belonged to
NACand had been used for that carriers domestic ights.
6 See also
History of Air New Zealand
Leonard Monk Isitt Chairman 1947
7 References
Air Transport in the 1966 Encyclopaedia of NZ
Electra training incident Whenuapai
8 External links
TEAL advertising posters in the collection of the
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
4 9 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES
9 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses
9.1 Text
TEAL Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TEAL?oldid=609466838 Contributors: Cjrother, Camerong, Alan Liefting, Enochlau, Gad-
um, Sam Hocevar, Rich Farmbrough, Aranel, Aecis, Linmhall, Woohookitty, Ardfern, Rjwilmsi, Jrlevine, Revolving Bugbear, Dputig07,
Carabinieri, Winstonwolfe, SuperJumbo, SmackBot, David Kernow, Grassynoel, AWeenieMan, Eztoremember, Pepith, Aerodrome, Mil-
borneOne, Iridescent, Daniel, Magioladitis, Jetstreamer, Appraiser, Eldumpo, DadaNeem, Hugo999, Papamoa8, Sfan00 IMG, Canadian
Monkey, Islandbaygardener, Flyernzl, AlexCherr72, ANG99, Chesipiero, Asalrifai, Andrewgprout, Rc119, FoxyOrange, Tjdunleavy and
Anonymous: 17
9.2 Images
File:Aviacionavion.png Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Aviacionavion.png License: Public domain Con-
tributors:
Turkmenistan.airlines.frontview.arp.jpg Original artist: Turkmenistan.airlines.frontview.arp.jpg: elfuser
File:Civil_Air_Ensign_of_New_Zealand.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Civil_Air_Ensign_of_
New_Zealand.svg License: Public domain Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:Commons-logo.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: ? Contributors: ? Original
artist: ?
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?
File:TEAl_SHort_Solent_Interior_MoTaT1.JPG Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/TEAl_SHort_
Solent_Interior_MoTaT1.JPG License: Public domain Contributors: Self Winstonwolfe. Original artist: Winstonwolfe
File:Tasman_Empire_Airways_Limited_(logo).png Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/44/Tasman_Empire_
Airways_Limited_%28logo%29.png License: Fair use Contributors:
http://www.teal.co.nz/teal/TEAL%205.htm Original artist: ?
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