Air New Zealand operated its inaugural Douglas DC-8 service from Auckland to Hong Kong on March 3, 1966, via Sydney and Darwin, initiating long-haul operations to Asia. The route gained fame for arrivals at Kai Tak Airport, where pilots executed sharp turns amid high-rise apartments before landing on the harbor-side runway.
Service evolved with a DC-10 introduction on October 28, 1973, via Sydney, followed by the first nonstop DC-10 on April 2, 1978, twice weekly. A Boeing 747 service via Port Moresby launched November 3, 1982, in partnership with Cathay Pacific and Air Niugini, solidifying ties from 1983. Nonstop 747 flights resumed April 2, 1985, until December 3, 1986, then shifted to joint operations.
Exclusive twice-weekly 747 service returned April 2, 1992; Boeing 767 replaced one frequency November 1, 1995. Full 767 transition occurred April 1998, with daily flights by April 2003. A strategic alliance with Cathay Pacific launched in 2013.
Today, Air New Zealand and Cathay Pacific operate up to 16 weekly flights into Hong Kong International Airport, carrying over 350,000 passengers annually. In 2025, most air freight between Auckland and Hong Kong traveled on Air New Zealand aircraft, with e-commerce comprising 70% of volume and consumer electronics 20%. The 9,150-kilometer route takes about 11.5 hours.