New Service for Sounds Air

Sounds Air have purchased another 12 seat Cessna Grand Caravan (registration ZK-SAW) bringing the total Caravans operating in the fleet to five. The aircraft was previously operating with a US Airforce Training establishment in Tulsa, Okalahoma, USA. It is leaving Tulsa today on a 48 hour ferry flight to Blenheim via Albuquerque, San Francisco, Honolulu, Pago Pago, Auckland and finally Blenheim. The aircraft is being ferried by Rob Leach from Air Center One in Auckland. It will be repainted in Sounds Air fleet colours and it is fitted with the latest Garmin G1000 'glass' cockpit technology. The first scheduled flight will be in January 2015 when Sounds Air begins a new service between Blenheim and Paraparaumu. We expect to be offering three return flights a day, five days a week. We have had great support from Kapiti Coast airport and are very excited about the possibilities this new route presents for the people of Marlborough / Tasman and the entire Kapiti Coast region. In addition the new aircraft is going to complement the existing fleet on flights from Wellington to Picton, Blenheim, Wanganui and Nelson plus gives us the opportunity to offer more charter flights and extra flights at peak times as demand increases at weekends and over the summer season.

Photos attached showing the aircraft on the ground in Tulsa before a test flight with Andrew Crawford, Sounds Air Managing Director and Craig Anderson Managing Director of Sounds Aero Maintenance.

Source : Sounds Air Press Release – 12th November 2014