Formed by an international agreement between New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom with initial shareholders of the New Zealand Government, Union Airways of New Zealand, Qantas and British Overseas Airways Corporation, the forerunner of Air New Zealand - Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL) started operating in April 1940. The carrier specialised in operating trans-Tasman flights between Australia and New Zealand, providing a much-needed air bridge between the two nations. A golden link that still exists to this day, but back then the aircraft flying the route was a Short S30 flying boat, registration ZK-AMA, named Aotearoa, obtained from Imperial Airways.
It was during 1965 that TEAL became wholly owned by the New Zealand Government and thus the name Air New Zealand was born.