“The inaugural service was commanded by chief pilot Captain ‘Torchy’ Uren and on board were four New Zealand-born cabin crew members, along with Qantas founder Sir Hudson Fysh and his wife Lady Fysh.”
The 707s, new at the time, offered 20 seats in a first-class cabin and 84 seats in economy.
The airline said it was releasing previously unpublished historical content from its archives.
“The first Qantas services operated on Lockheed L-188 Electra turboprops and the inaugural service in October 1961 flew from Sydney to Wellington and was seen off by Qantas co-founder Hudson Fysh and the New Zealand Prime Minister at the time.”
After the 707 flight from Sydney to Christchurch, Qantas jets flew from Sydney to Wellington and Auckland.
Qantas also started flying jets to Auckland in 1965. Photo / Qantas
In November 1965, Qantas operated its first jet service to Auckland Airport with a Boeing 707 V-Jet. The airline had taken delivery of its first 707 six years earlier.
Auckland Airport had not yet officially opened and Qantas said its aircraft was the first commercial plane to land there.
The first aircraft to leave from Auckland Airport was believed to be an Air New Zealand DC-8 bound for Sydney.
A crowd gathered at Christchurch to see the jet arrive. A banner reads: "The city of Christchurch welcomes the first commercial jet service to New Zealand." Photo / Qantas
Air New Zealand had only been renamed in April that year. It was previously known as Teal – Tasman Empire Airways Limited.
In January 1966, a “Grand Air Pageant” marked the Auckland Airport opening, lasting three days and attracting an estimated 200,000 or more people.
For several years, all travellers used what is now the domestic terminal at Auckland, until an international terminal opened in 1977.
Qantas became the only all-Boeing 747 airline in the world in 1981.
That year, it took delivery of the 747SP, a shortened version of the Jumbo jet, especially to operate into the shorter runway at Wellington Airport.
