In 1984, Air New Zealand made its first non-stop flight from Auckland to Los Angeles, cementing the New Zealand airline as the longest-serving carrier operating this route.
Although Air New Zealand landed on the west coast of the United States in December 1965, its service to Los Angeles had stops in Nadi, Tahiti or Honolulu, so 1984 saw the start of its first non-stop service operated in a Boeing 747-200.
“Similarly, for our U.S. customers, our LAX to AKL service has been one of our most popular routes connecting visitors to Aotearoa. The Kiwi experience truly begins on board with Air New Zealand and there is no better way to start a New Zealand adventure,” said Scott Carr, Air New Zealand’s General Manager, Long Haul.
The Auckland to Los Angeles service has experienced some amazing moments over the years. In 2009, the New Zealand airline hosted a Matchmaking flight (with a singles cabin, presented by “The Bachelor”); in 2003 a Boeing 747-400 with Lord of the Rings livery landed at LAX; and even in 1993, the airline welcomed Queen Elizabeth II aboard on her trip to Aotearoa, making it the first routine commercial air service employed by a British monarch.
Since 1984, Air New Zealand has operated continuously to Los Angeles (with a slight suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic). Currently, the New Zealand airline provides up to ten round-trip flights per week between Auckland and Los Angeles operated by Boeing 777-300ERs.
Facts about 40 years of operation between Auckland and Los Angeles
- Since 1984, Air New Zealand has operated 40,000 flights between Auckland and Los Angeles.
- The airline has flown Queen Elizabeth II in 1995 and even a Sumatran tiger on its way to the Auckland Zoo in 2022.
- Air New Zealand has flown more than 12 million passengers on this route since 1984.
