The inaugural Los Angeles-Auckland service operated via Fiji and Honolulu on 14 December 1965 with a DC8 aircraft.

Group General Manager Network, Marketing & Sales, Norm Thompson said it had been an exciting 40 years for Air New Zealand in North America, with significant changes in aircraft types and product offerings introduced over this time.

"First operating as TEAL (Tasman Empire Airways Limited), a small airline with only one flight per week to Long Beach, California, via the South Pacific, Air New Zealand stands today as an award winning international airline offering fourteen direct services per week Auckland to Los Angeles, seven services via Pacific Island destinations and six services per week Auckland to San Francisco.

A snapshot of key milestones for the North American operation is as follows: 14 Dec 1965 Air New Zealand's inaugural DC8 Auckland-Los Angeles service
11 Jul 1981 First B747-200 flight Auckland-Honolulu-Los Angeles
26 Aug 1982 First Auckland-Los Angeles-London service
7 Dec 1989 B767-200 ER aircraft replace B747-200s on twice weekly Auckland-Nadi-Honolulu-Los Angeles service
9 Sep 1994 B767s replaced by B747-400 aircraft on the Auckland-Honolulu-
Los Angeles route
4 Nov 1994 First direct Sydney-Los Angeles service with 3 per week introduced
Jul 1995 Increased direct B747 services Auckland-Los Angeles from 3 to 5 per week
Oct 2002 Introduction of double daily services Auckland-Los Angeles
30 Jun 2004 First Auckland-San Francisco service
29 Nov 2005 Auckland-San Francisco services increased from 3 to 6 per week