TEAL
Encyclopedia
Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL) was the forerunner of Air New Zealand
. It was first registered in Wellington
as a limited liability company on 26 April 1940.
The shares were originally held by the New Zealand government
(20%), Union Airways
(19%), BOAC
(38%) and Qantas
(23%).
to Sydney
on 30 April of that year, was flown by one of its two Short S30
flying boat
s.
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).
In the first year, the annual report revealed that 130 trans-Tasman flights had been completed carrying 1461 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.
After World War II shareholding passed to equal ownership by the governments of New Zealand
and Australia
. Four Short Sandringham
s and later Short Solent
s were acquired, as well as an ex-Royal New Zealand Air Force
PBY Catalina
for survey flights.
The Coral Route is one of the most famous routes flown by TEAL. It was initiated by NZ National Airways Corporation
in 1947 using Short Sunderland
s but after a survey, was taken over by TEAL in 1951 with the inaugural Auckland—Suva
and Suva—Labasa
flights in June. However, later that year the Suva—Labasa route was dropped in favour of a monthly extension to the Cook Islands
and Tahiti
. The Coral Route was born.
The next year, due to its popularity, the Coral Route was increased to a fortnightly service.
In 1960, the final Coral Route flight returned to Auckland. It was one of the world's last scheduled international flying boat services. It was operated by Short S.45 Solent flying boat Aranui which had survived replacement by DC-6 and Electra landplanes by several years compared to her contemporaries.
Short Sandringham
ZK-AMH RMA Auckland. A conversion of a Short Sunderland
III, RAF serial JM715. Operated with TEAL from 1947 to 1950. Preserved and displayed in Southampton
at Solent Sky
Museum. Latterly Ansett Flying Boat Services VH-BRC Beachcomber, retired in 1981.
Short Solent
ZK-AMO RMA Aranui is now restored and on display at the Museum of Transport and Technology
(MOTAT) in Auckland
.
From 1954 with the introduction of the DC-6s, Christchurch—Sydney and Auckland—Sydney were started, with TEAL now operating its own Christchurch—Melbourne and Auckland—Melbourne services.
Services to Brisbane from Auckland and Christchurch followed in 1959; and Wellington resumed international service, at first only to Sydney, in 1960.
Meanwhile, the flying boat service to Suva was replaced by DC-6 to Nadi in 1954; and when the last flying boat service closed in 1960, the flight was extended to Pago Pago and Tahiti. In late 1964, the French canceled TEAL's licence to Tahiti and the Coral Route service terminated at Pago Pago. Air New Zealand were permitted to return to Tahiti in 1967.
Short S.30 Empire Class
The first services were flown by Short S.30 Empire Class flying 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 cancellation of its delivery.
Short S.25 Sandringham Mk IV 'Tasman Class'
In 1946, TEAL acquired four Short S.25 Sandringham IV 'Tasman Class' flying 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 P2B-1 Catalina
TEAL flew two Boeing-built Consolidated P2B-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 new trans-Tasman crossing record of 5 hours 37 minutes. The Solents continued flying 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 flown by TEAL between 1954 and 1961. Three were transferred to TEAL after the break-up of British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines
. The aircraft started replacing the flying boats in May and June and meant the transfer of Auckland's International Airport from Mechanics Bay to Whenuapai
, where it was to remain until 1965. In September 1956, work was completed on the skin of the DC-6's to allow a 2000 lbs increase in payload. By 1961, they were handed over to the RNZAF to be used as troop transporters.
Lockheed L-188 Electra
The last new type to be operated by TEAL was the Lockheed L.188 Electra. Three of this type were operated between 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.
Onboard were a captain, a check captain, a flight engineer, a navigator, and the airline's industrial personnel officer, and emergency procedures officer standing behind them.
As Akaroas speed dropped below 140 knots, the aeroplane landed very heavily, collapsing the undercarriage; and Akaroa shed wings, engines, tailplane, and tail as she skidded off the runway and across the grass towards the control tower. Somehow, the two standing officers stayed standing, the fire extinguishers were turned on, and everyone was evacuated out 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 NAC hangars before the public saw it. The crash took place in the early hours of the morning. This training procedure was quickly deleted from TEAL's manuals. TEAL purchased a replacement Electra from Qantas after it changed its name to Air New Zealand the following March.
decided to support the wholly Australian-owned Qantas airline
and the New Zealand government
bought out the Australian government's shareholding, giving New Zealand
100% ownership. The airline
changed to Air New Zealand
(its present name) on 1 April 1965 at the same time as Douglas DC-8
s entered service. TEAL's TE flight code carried over to Air New Zealand, which continued to use it for its international routes until 1989. Then its international flights began using the NZ code that belonged to NAC and had been used for that carrier's domestic flights.
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
. It was first registered in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
as a limited liability company on 26 April 1940.
The shares were originally held by the New Zealand government
Politics of New Zealand
The politics of New Zealand take place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic monarchy. The basic system is closely patterned on that of the Westminster System, although a number of significant modifications have been made...
(20%), Union Airways
Union Airways of N.Z. Ltd
Union Airways of N.Z. Ltd was New Zealand's first major airline.-History:The Union Steamship Company took shares in East Coast Airways in 1934 and in Cook Strait Airways in 1935, and later that year amalgamated these into a new national airway, on 5 January 1936 opening services between Palmerston...
(19%), BOAC
Boac
Boac may refer to:* Boac, Marinduque, a municipality in the Southern Philippines* Boac , an American rapper* British Overseas Airways Corporation, a former British state-owned airline...
(38%) and Qantas
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
(23%).
Initial services
The inaugural service, from AucklandAuckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
on 30 April of that year, was flown by one of its two Short S30
Short Empire
The Short Empire was a passenger and mail carrying flying boat, of the 1930s and 1940s, that flew between Britain and British colonies in Africa, Asia and Australia...
flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
s.
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).
In the first year, the annual report revealed that 130 trans-Tasman flights had been completed carrying 1461 passengers for a profit, prior to tax and dividends, of NZ£
New Zealand pound
The pound was the currency of New Zealand between 1840 and 1967. Like the British pound, it was subdivided into 20 shillings each of 12 pence. As a result of the great depression of the early 1930s, the New Zealand agricultural export market to the UK was badly affected...
31 479.
By 1944, the trans-Tasman frequency had increased to three weekly return flights.
After World War II shareholding passed to equal ownership by the governments of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Four Short Sandringham
Short Sandringham
- External links :* -See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Jackson, A.J British Civil Aircraft since 1919 - Volume Three. London: Putnam & Company Ltd, 1974. ISBN 0-370-10014-X....
s and later Short Solent
Short Solent
- External links :* * *...
s were acquired, as well as an ex-Royal New Zealand Air Force
Royal New Zealand Air Force
The Royal New Zealand Air Force is the air arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...
PBY Catalina
PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
for survey flights.
Coral Route
National Airways Corporation
National Airways Corporation was the national domestic airline of New Zealand from 1947 until 1978 when it amalgamated with New Zealand's international airline, Air New Zealand. The airline was headquartered in Wellington...
in 1947 using Short Sunderland
Short Sunderland
The Short S.25 Sunderland was a British flying boat patrol bomber developed for the Royal Air Force by Short Brothers. It took its service name from the town and port of Sunderland in northeast England....
s but after a survey, was taken over by TEAL in 1951 with the inaugural Auckland—Suva
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
and Suva—Labasa
Labasa
Labasa is a town in Fiji with a population of 27,949 at the most recent census held in 2007.Labasa is located in Macuata Province, in the north-eastern part of the island of Vanua Levu, and is the largest town on the island. The town itself is located on a delta formed by three rivers - the...
flights in June. However, later that year the Suva—Labasa route was dropped in favour of a monthly extension to the Cook Islands
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
and Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
. The Coral Route was born.
The next year, due to its popularity, the Coral Route was increased to a fortnightly service.
In 1960, the final Coral Route flight returned to Auckland. It was one of the world's last scheduled international flying boat services. It was operated by Short S.45 Solent flying boat Aranui which had survived replacement by DC-6 and Electra landplanes by several years compared to her contemporaries.
Short Sandringham
Short Sandringham
- External links :* -See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Jackson, A.J British Civil Aircraft since 1919 - Volume Three. London: Putnam & Company Ltd, 1974. ISBN 0-370-10014-X....
ZK-AMH RMA Auckland. A conversion of a Short Sunderland
Short Sunderland
The Short S.25 Sunderland was a British flying boat patrol bomber developed for the Royal Air Force by Short Brothers. It took its service name from the town and port of Sunderland in northeast England....
III, RAF serial JM715. Operated with TEAL from 1947 to 1950. Preserved and displayed in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
at Solent Sky
Solent Sky
Solent Sky is an aviation museum in Southampton, Hampshire, previously known as Southampton Hall of Aviation.It depicts the history of aviation in Southampton, the Solent area and Hampshire. There is special focus on the Supermarine aircraft company, based in Southampton, and its most famous...
Museum. Latterly Ansett Flying Boat Services VH-BRC Beachcomber, retired in 1981.
Short Solent
Short Solent
- External links :* * *...
ZK-AMO RMA Aranui is now restored and on display at the Museum of Transport and Technology
Museum of Transport and Technology
The Museum of Transport and Technology is a museum located in Western Springs, Auckland, New Zealand. It is located close to the Western Springs Stadium, Auckland Zoo and the Western Springs Park. The museum has large collections of civilian and military aircraft and other land transport vehicles...
(MOTAT) in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
.
Other routes
From 1940–1950, TEAL operated a single route, from Auckland to Sydney with its Shorts flying boats; and from 1948–54 contracted an ANA DC-4 to serve Melbourne—Christchurch. From 1950–54 Wellington was also served by flying boat to Sydney.From 1954 with the introduction of the DC-6s, Christchurch—Sydney and Auckland—Sydney were started, with TEAL now operating its own Christchurch—Melbourne and Auckland—Melbourne services.
Services to Brisbane from Auckland and Christchurch followed in 1959; and Wellington resumed international service, at first only to Sydney, in 1960.
Meanwhile, the flying boat service to Suva was replaced by DC-6 to Nadi in 1954; and when the last flying boat service closed in 1960, the flight was extended to Pago Pago and Tahiti. In late 1964, the French canceled TEAL's licence to Tahiti and the Coral Route service terminated at Pago Pago. Air New Zealand were permitted to return to Tahiti in 1967.
Fleet
TEAL operated both landplanes and flying boats.Short S.30 Empire Class
Short Empire
The Short Empire was a passenger and mail carrying flying boat, of the 1930s and 1940s, that flew between Britain and British colonies in Africa, Asia and Australia...
The first services were flown by Short S.30 Empire Class flying 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 cancellation of its delivery.
Short S.25 Sandringham Mk IV 'Tasman Class'
Short Sandringham
- External links :* -See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Jackson, A.J British Civil Aircraft since 1919 - Volume Three. London: Putnam & Company Ltd, 1974. ISBN 0-370-10014-X....
In 1946, TEAL acquired four Short S.25 Sandringham IV 'Tasman Class' flying 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 P2B-1 Catalina
PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
TEAL flew two Boeing-built Consolidated P2B-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
Short Solent
- External links :* * *...
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 new trans-Tasman crossing record of 5 hours 37 minutes. The Solents continued flying until 1954 with the introduction of the Douglas DC-6 landplanes. However, Solent Aranui continued on the Coral Route until 1960.
Douglas DC-6
Douglas DC-6
The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range...
The Douglas DC-6 was flown by TEAL between 1954 and 1961. Three were transferred to TEAL after the break-up of British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines
British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines
British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines or BCPA, was an airline registered in New South Wales, Australia in June 1946 with headquarters in Sydney. It was formed by the governments of Australia , New Zealand and the United Kingdom to pursue trans-Pacific flights...
. The aircraft started replacing the flying boats in May and June and meant the transfer of Auckland's International Airport from Mechanics Bay to Whenuapai
Whenuapai
Whenuapai is a suburb and airport located in the western Waitakere area of Auckland City, in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located on the northwestern shore of the Waitemata Harbour, 15 kilometres to the northwest of Auckland's city centre. It is one of the landing points for the Southern...
, where it was to remain until 1965. In September 1956, work was completed on the skin of the DC-6's to allow a 2000 lbs increase in payload. By 1961, they were handed over to the RNZAF to be used as troop transporters.
Lockheed L-188 Electra
Lockheed L-188 Electra
The Lockheed Model 188 Electra is an American turboprop airliner built by Lockheed. First flying in 1957, it was the first large turboprop airliner produced in the United States. Initial sales were good, but after two fatal crashes which prompted an expensive modification program to fix a design...
The last new type to be operated by TEAL was the Lockheed L.188 Electra. Three of this type were operated between 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.
Lockheed Electra L-188 crash
On March 27, 1965, Teal's Lockheed Electra L-188 ZK-TEC Akaroa, crashed during a training flight at Whenuapai. The airline had done the following manoeuvre many times before: the Electra flying at precisely 140kts, could be flown over the runway threshold, then throttled back to idle, it would drop almost vertically, and then land on the runway. As this would never be done on a passenger flight; the reason for the procedure remains a mystery.Onboard were a captain, a check captain, a flight engineer, a navigator, and the airline's industrial personnel officer, and emergency procedures officer standing behind them.
As Akaroas speed dropped below 140 knots, the aeroplane landed very heavily, collapsing the undercarriage; and Akaroa shed wings, engines, tailplane, and tail as she skidded off the runway and across the grass towards the control tower. Somehow, the two standing officers stayed standing, the fire extinguishers were turned on, and everyone was evacuated out 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 NAC hangars before the public saw it. The crash took place in the early hours of the morning. This training procedure was quickly deleted from TEAL's manuals. TEAL purchased a replacement Electra from Qantas after it changed its name to Air New Zealand the following March.
Ownership transfer
In April 1961 the Australian governmentPolitics of Australia
The Politics of Australia take place within the framework of a parliamentary democracy, with electoral procedures appropriate to a two-party system. Australia is governed as a federation and as a constitutional monarchy, with an adversarial legislature based upon the Westminster system...
decided to support the wholly Australian-owned Qantas airline
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
and the New Zealand government
Politics of New Zealand
The politics of New Zealand take place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic monarchy. The basic system is closely patterned on that of the Westminster System, although a number of significant modifications have been made...
bought out the Australian government's shareholding, giving New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
100% ownership. The airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
changed to Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
(its present name) on 1 April 1965 at the same time as Douglas DC-8
Douglas DC-8
The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company...
s entered service. TEAL's TE flight code carried over to Air New Zealand, which continued to use it for its international routes until 1989. Then its international flights began using the NZ code that belonged to NAC and had been used for that carrier's domestic flights.
See also
- History of Air New ZealandHistory of Air New ZealandThe history of Air New Zealand, the national carrier of New Zealand, began when the amalgamated East Coast Airways and Cook Strait Airways began operations in January 1936 as Union Airways of N.Z. Ltd, the country's first major airline. Union Airways was the sole New Zealand aviation partner in...
- Leonard Monk IsittLeonard Monk Isitt (aviator)Air Vice-Marshal Sir Leonard Monk Isitt, KBE, was a New Zealand military aviator and administrator...
Chairman 1947