The First Trans-Alpine Air Service - Phoenix Airways

UPDATED FEBRUARY 2026

Phoenix Airways holds the place of being the first airline to operate a trans-Alpine air service. 

In early 1961 newspapers carried Air Services Licensing Authority advertisement for an application by Mervyn James Dunn trading as Phoenix Airways, Box 64, Greymouth, for an Air Service Licence to operate with one twin-engined Piper Apache:

a) An air charter service from Greymouth to all licensed aerodromes in New Zealand excluding the area south of Hokitika and bounded to the south by the Southern Alps.

b) An air taxi service from Greymouth to all licensed aerodromes in New Zealand excluding the area south of Hokitika and bounded to the east by the Southern Alps.

The licence was granted on the 24th of March 1961 with operations starting using a leased Piper Pa23-160 Apache, ZK-BLP (c/n 23-1089). The Apache was no stranger to the West Coast, being owned since October 1957 by Henry Buchanan of Haast and used for his venison enterprises by the associated operations of Coast Aviation. In November 1959 ZK-BLP, went to Auckland to be used by Northland Airways on service between Auckland and Whāngarei until September 1960 before it returned to Greymouth.

In the first year of operations Phoenix Airways also briefly used Coast Aviation's De Havilland Fox Moth ZK-APT.

Company advertising - 1961

Piper Pa23-160 Apache ZK-BLP at Greymouth in 1961 prior to departing to Christchurch on a charter.

On the 4th of September 1963 the Air Services Licensing Authority granted an application by Phoenix Airways Ltd to extend its charter operations by allowing a thrice weekly Greymouth-Christchurch trans-alpine service. Company Manager and chief pilot, Merv Dunn, announced that day in the Greymouth Evening Star that he intended the new service to start on the 9th of September with the Apache leaving Greymouth at 8.15 a.m. to arrive in Christchurch by 9.00 a.m. and returning from Christchurch at 4.15 p.m. to reach Greymouth at 5.00 p.m.

Piper Apache ZK-BLP while being operated by Phoenix Airways. Photo taken at Hamilton on 29 January 1962

Greymouth Evening Star - 7 September 1963

The service had to operate under visual flight rules and the inaugural flight, on the 9th of September was thwarted by unfavourable weather conditions on the Canterbury side of the Alps. The Apache left Greymouth with a full load but was informed by radio that Christchurch was closed to all visual flight traffic, thus, the flight returned to Greymouth. The next attempt, two days later, on the Wednesday also had to turn back due to weather conditions over the Southern Alps. The first successful flights took place on Wednesday the 18th of September 1963 with a full load being carried in both directions.

Phoenix Airways' First Day Cover, 18 September 1963 

Phoenix Airways' Piper Apache ZK-BLP at Christchurch with the photo signed by the company's pilot, Merv Dunn.

Ten days later the Greymouth Evening Star reported the service was “now well established” and the company had in mind, in its two year plan, “that a larger plane will be necessary to replace the present five-seater being used on the thrice-weekly Greymouth-Christchurch and return air service… Mr Dunn said the purchase of a larger machine would depend on the patronage the service receives.” 

This week an Evening Star reporter took the 45-minute journey to Christchurch with Mr Dunn at the controls. In the Apache (similar to the one operated between Nelson and Greymouth) the trip was completed in fine conditions at 8000ft. The route taken was via Stillwater, Rotomanu and over the Alps just north of Otira and Arthur’s Pass, cutting across the southern end of the Lees Valley on the Canterbury side. The aircraft left Greymouth at 8.15 am and touched down in Christchurch at 9.00 am. On the return trip, the Apache took off at 4.15 pm and landed at Greymouth at 4.55 pm. A light haze on Thursday prevented passengers from seeing Reefton (blanketed under a covering of fog 8000ft below) as the machine neared Otira. Lake Hochstetter, Lake Brunner and a myriad of smaller lakes and ponds were clearly visible. A dazzling mantle of snow covered the Alps themselves. On the return trip the snow was barely visible through a blanket of fluffy cumulus cloud scudding 1000 ft below (the external temperature at this stage was zero, but the cabin heater kept passengers comfortably warm).

Greymouth Evening Star 5 November 1963

The prospect of a larger aircraft never came to fruition due to Golden Coast Airlines buying Phoenix Airways' Piper Apache ZK-BLP.  Meanwhile, Golden Coast Airlines made available a Cessna 180 Cessna 180 ZK-BVQ (c/n 31342) to enable Merv Dunn, the managing director of Phoenix Airways, to continue its routine same-day routine flights from Greymouth to Christchurch. The AHSNZ Journal recorded the 180 at Christchurch on the 2nd of December 1963 and the 4th of January 1964.

Cessna 180 ZK-BVQ at Wellington sometime before April 1964. Presumably it operated for Phoenix Airways with Golden Coast Airways titles.

On the 8th of February 1964 the Press carried an advertisement from the Air Services Licensing Authority stating that Phoenix Airways was seeking an amendment to the terms and conditions of Air Service Licence No. 273 to authorise the operation of either one Piper PA23 or one Cessna 172 or one Cessna 180 or one Cessna 205. These aircraft were all part of the Golden Coast Airlines or Masterton-based Aircraft Hire Ltd’s stables. Aircraft Hire Ltd had bought Golden Coast Airways in November 1963. 

Meanwhile, the Cessna 180, ZK-BVQ, was registered to Mr A. Brown of Palmerston North on the 10th  of March 1964 and the aircraft was exported to Australia as VH-BVQ, its New Zealand registration being cancelled on the 31st of May 1964.  

Golden Coast Airlines had bought Phoenix Airways from Merv Dunn by mid-1964 and secured him as one of their pilots. Sadly, there is no record of what aircraft Phoenix Airways were operating in 1964 and who was flying the service but on the 11th of September 1964 Phoenix Airways was authorised to operate Cessna 172 ZK-CAA as part of their fleet. ZK-CAA was owned by Aircraft Hire Ltd. The air service continued was still being advertised in the Greymouth Evening Star as late as the 10th of October 1964 but appears to have petered out sometime after this.

The Phoenix Airways story ended on the 31st of March 1966 when the Air Service Licensing Authority approved the transfer of Phoenix Airways licence, No. 273, to Golden Coast Airlines (1965) Ltd. The licence was valid until 1968 but Golden Coast Airlines never operated under it.