New Zealand's Internal Airlines - Part 1 - "A"

Bruce Gavin is undoubtedly one of the country's foremost historians on New Zealand's airlines, especially the smaller and largely unknown . He has written numerous articles for the Aviation Historical Society over the years and in more recent years was a co-author with Richard Waugh,Peter Layne and Graeme McConnell of "Taking Off" a book which details small airlines of New Zealand from 1945 to 1970. More recently he has written his own book, "Heartland High Flier" on the story of Air Central. He has compiled a list of New Zealand's internal airlines. This is the first installment of the "A" airlines... These are the companies that are the bread and butter of this blog spot... How many do you remember???

Once again, if there are any corrections, additions, information, stories or photos relevant to these airlines please write a comment or e-mail me at westland831@gmail.com









Adastra Aviation Ltd
Aerial Charter (Southland) Ltd




Air2there (operated by Air2there.com (2008) Ltd)






Air Albatross (operated by M.C. Turley, became Air Albatross Ltd)
Air Albatross (operated by Air Albatross Ltd)





Air Central (operated by Air Central (1982) Ltd)
Air Central (operated by Air Central Ltd)
Air Charter (operated by Brian Chadwick)
Air Charter Christchurch Ltd





Air Chathams (operated by Air Chathams Ltd)
Air Chathams (operated by Air Transport (Chatham Islands) Ltd)





Air Coromandel (operated by Air Services (Whitianga) Ltd)
Air Coromandel (operated by Hibiscus Air Services Ltd)
Air Direct (operated by Air Direct Ltd)







Air Discovery Ltd






Air Express (operated by Mr J.M. Kelly)
Air Fiordland (operated by Fiordland Experience Group Ltd)
Air Fiordland (operated by Air Fiordland Ltd)





Air Freight NZ (operated by Air Freight (NZ) Ltd)
Air Gisborne (operated by Air Gisborne Ltd)






Air Hamilton (operated by Air Hamilton Flying Properties Ltd)




Air Kaitaia (operated by Mountain Air Ltd)




Air Kapiti (operated by Air Wairarapa Ltd)





Airlines of New Zealand (operated by South Pacific Airlines of New Zealand Ltd)
Airlift (NZ) Ltd
Airlift (Southland) Ltd









Airlink (operated by Airlink Services (NZ) Ltd)




Air Marlborough (operated by Straits Air Charter Ltd)
Air Milford (operated by Air Milford (2000) Ltd)







Air Napier (operated by Air Napier Ltd)




Air National (operated by E.C. Menzies Aviation Ltd and later Air National Corporate Ltd)






Air Nelson (operated by Air Nelson Ltd)
Air Nelson (operated by Associated Aviation (Motueka Ltd)




Air New Zealand (operated by Air New Zealand Ltd)





Air New Zealand Link (operated on behalf of Air New Zealand Ltd by wholly owned subsidiary airlines Air Nelson Ltd, Eagle Airways Ltd and Mount Cook Airlines Ltd)





Air North (operated by Air North (1977) Ltd, previously known as Air South Pacific Ltd)
Air North (operated by Air North Ltd)
Air North Shore (operated by North Shore Aero Club)
Air Post (operated by Airwork (NZ) Ltd)





Air Queenstown (operated by Air Queenstown Ltd)




Air River City (operated by Foxpine Air Charter Ltd)







Air Rotorua (operated by Rotorua Aero Club)
Air Rotorua (operated by Air Rotorua Ltd)




Air Timaru (operated by Air Timaru (Holdings) Ltd)
Air Tours Kaikoura (operated by R.A. Harmon Ltd)
Air Travel (formed by F. Maurice Clark and Squadron Leader M.C. McGregor)





Air Travel (NZ) Ltd




Air Wairarapa (operated by Air Wairarapa Ltd)
Air Wakatipu (operated by Wakatipu Aero Club)




Air Wanganui (operated by Wanganui Commuter Air Ltd)





Air Wellington (operated by Air Wellington Ltd)





Air West Coast (operated by Air West Coast Ltd)






Airwork (operated by Airwork (NZ) Ltd and later Airwork Holdings Ltd)






Akarana Air (operated by Akarana Air Ltd)





Alpine Air Services (operated by Alpine Air Services Ltd)
Alpine Helicopters Ltd (tri weekly service to Puysegur Point Lighthouse began 18 May 1977)








Amphibian Airways (operated by Amphibian Airways Ltd)
Ansett Flying Boat Services Pty Ltd (Wellington/Chatham Islands 1955-57)





Ansett New Zealand (operated by Ansett New Zealand Ltd)







Ansett New Zealand Air Freight (operated by Rex Aviation (NZ) Ltd)
Ansett Newmans




Aotearoa Airlines
Ardmore Air Charter (operated by Ardmore Flying School Ltd)
Associated Aviation (Nelson) Ltd






Associated Air (operated by Associated Aviation Ltd, later Associated Airlines Ltd)





Aspiring Air (operated by Aspiring Air Ltd
Aspiring Air (operated by Aspiring Air (1981) Ltd)
Astral Air Services Ltd (operated as Tranzair)
Auckland Aero Club (also operated as Auckland Air Charter and NZ Air Charter)
Auckland Air Charter (operated by Auckland Aero Club)
Auckland Flying School Ltd (operating as Executive Air Travel, Northern Airways and Peninsula Air Travel Service)
Auckland-Tokoroa Air Services (operated by Airwork (NZ) Ltd)





Avcorp Commuter (operated by Aviation Corporation Ltd)