Based in Auckland, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 20 domestic and 28 international destinations in 18 countries, primarily within the Pacific Rim.

Air New Zealand was privatised in 1989, but returned to majority government ownership in 2001 after nearing bankruptcy due to a failed tie-up with Australian carrier Ansett Australia.

[8] Air New Zealand's route network focuses on Australasia and the South Pacific, with long-haul flight services to eastern Asia and North America.

[17][18][19] With the increased range of the Douglas DC-8s the airline's first jet aircraft, Air New Zealand began transpacific services to the United States and Asia with Los Angeles and Honolulu added as destinations in 1965.

As a result, NAC's Boeing 737 and Fokker F27 aircraft joined Air New Zealand's fleet alongside its DC-8 and DC-10 airliners.

[19][20] In 1981, Air New Zealand introduced its first Boeing 747 airliner, and a year later initiated service to London via Los Angeles.

From 1999 through 2000, Air New Zealand became embroiled in an ownership battle over Ansett with co-owner News Limited over a possible sale of the under-performing carrier to Singapore Airlines.

[22] In 2000, Air New Zealand announced that it had chosen instead to acquire the entirety of Ansett Transport Industries (increasing its 50% stake in the carrier to 100%) for A$680 million from News Corporation in an attempt to break into the Australian aviation market.

Business commentators[23][24] believe this to have been a critical mistake, as Ansett's fleet, staffing levels and infrastructure far outweighed that of Air New Zealand.

Subsequently, both carriers' profitability came under question, and foreign offers to purchase the Air New Zealand Group were considered.

In September 2001, plagued by costs it could not possibly afford, the Air New Zealand / Ansett Group neared collapse.

By October 2016 Air New Zealand sold its remaining stake in Virgin Australia to investors and the Nasham Group.

[45] The company also occupies premises at the Smales Farm Business Park in Takapuna on the North Shore, adjacent to the bus station and Northern motorway.

[54] The Air New Zealand symbol is a Māori koru, a stylised representation of a silver fern frond unfolding.

[56] On 27 March 2006, Air New Zealand revealed a new brand identity, involving a new Zambesi-designed uniform, new logo, new colour scheme and new look check-in counters and lounges.

The new uniforms featured a colour palette mirroring the greenstone, teal, schist and slate hues of New Zealand's sea and sky.

Uniform fabric was woven from merino wool and incorporated curves inspired by the airline's logo symbol, the koru.

"'It would be fair to say that the lessons from the development and introduction of the current uniform have been taken on board," said the airline's CEO after widespread public and staff criticism.

Dropping the teal and green colours that had represented the airline since its beginnings as Tasman Empire Airways (TEAL) in 1939, black was adopted as the brand colour in a joint effort between the airline, New Zealand design agency Designworks and renowned Kiwi typographer Kris Sowersby, who also introduced a new logo typeface.

[citation needed] Then CEO Rob Fyfe said of the rebranding: "Black has resonated well with our customers and staff who identify with it as the colour of New Zealand and a natural choice for our national airline.

[71] In 2012, after securing a contract from the Australian government – Air New Zealand launched twice-weekly services from Sydney and Brisbane to Norfolk Island on its A320 aircraft.

[84] In February 2024, the airline announced the introduction of free Wi-Fi on board service via Starlink satellite Internet across all its routes.

On 19 October 2005, Air New Zealand proposed outsourcing most of its heavy maintenance on its long-haul aircraft and engines, which would result in about 600 job losses, mostly in Auckland.

The proposal was estimated to save $48 million over five years and came after many attempts to attract contracts to service other airlines' longhaul aircraft.

[88] In November 2005, it was revealed that Air New Zealand (along with Qantas and British Airways) had a policy of not seating adult male passengers next to unaccompanied children.

On 15 November 2006 Air New Zealand announced it was withdrawing its application after a draft decision by the ACCC to not approve the code-sharing agreement.

[94] Green Party human rights spokesperson Golriz Ghahraman accused Air New Zealand for being an accomplice to the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen.

[96] In a 2008 effort to develop an aviation biofuel, Air New Zealand and Boeing researched the jatropha plant to see if it was a viable green alternative to conventional fuel.

[97] A two-hour test flight, using a 50–50 mixture of the new biofuel with Jet A-1 feeding a Rolls-Royce RB211 engine of one of the airline's 747-400s, was completed on 30 December 2008.

The use of jatropha has been identified as a possible future fuel but large tracts of low quality land needed to grow the plant would have to be found without impeding other agricultural uses.