Story: Aviation

1935 was a turning point in the development of passenger and freight flights in New Zealand. A number of airlines were licensed to fly routes within the country, creating a commercial aviation network. One was National Airways of New Zealand, later renamed Union Airways. This photograph taken at Palmerston North airport in 1936 shows one of its planes, a de Havilland 86 Express, which bears the Māori name Karoro, meaning gull. Such names were continued by the National Airways Corporation.