Transport in New Zealand final sailing of the Rangatira, which was custom built and entered service in 1972, was on 15 September 1976, after two money-losing years (subsidised by the government). New Zealand's air travel sector is served by 15 airlines. The largest airline is Air New Zealand, a state-owned flag carrier. There are 123 airports (and aerodromes) in New Zealand. Six airports provide international air services (besides domestic services); Auckland and Christchurch (the largest airports in the North and South Islands, respectively) providing long-haul and short-haul international air services; and Wellington, Hamilton, Dunedin and Queenstown providing short-haul international air services to Australia and
Wellington Region originally settled the region knew it as "Te Upoko o te Ika a Māui", meaning "the head of Māui's fish". Legend recounts that Kupe discovered and explored the region in about the tenth century. The region was settled by Europeans in 1839 by the New Zealand Company. Wellington became the capital of Wellington Province upon the creation of the province in 1853, until the Abolition of the Provinces Act came into force on 1 Nov 1876. Wellington became capital of New Zealand in 1865, the third capital after Russell and Auckland. The region occupies the southern tip of the North