the first aircraft connecting new zealand with the rest of the world in the 1930s were flying boats. international flights from britain by imperial airways via india, singapore and australia connected with teal for the sydney to auckland leg. flights by pan american from america via hawaii also landed at auckland. the short solent or boeing 314 flying boats landed in mechanics bay, which was the centre of international aviation for new zealand until the 1950s. even after the construction of auckland international airport at mangere in the 1960s, mechanics bay was still used by flying boats to the pacific islands, e.g. for the "coral route" to fiji.