Airline Histories and Profiles - 2015 in Review

One of the features of the blog is trying to record the history of the regional airlines. For those of you who are wondering these airlines used to be called 3rd level airlines hence the blog title. In the early days of the blog I tried to write an airline history/profile once a week but that quickly developed to once a month. It is probably the feature of the blog that is most under threat as I have much less time to research now.

However, over 2015 I wrote a number of history/profile pieces as follows. In addition to the monthly ones there were profiles on the start up airlines.

Sounds Air's Kaikoura service which operated between 2004 and 2009

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2015/01/sounds-airs-kaikoura-service.html

Air Tours Kaikoura operated scheduled services from Kaikoura to Wellington, Blenheim and Hanmer Springs

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2015/02/try-all-action-weekend-air-tours.html

Air2there currently offers flights from Paraparaumu to Blenheim and Nelson

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2015/03/air2there-city-hopper-air-service.html

NAC flew a regular air service from Hokitika to Franz Josef from 1947 to 1956

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2015/04/nacs-glacier-service.html

A history of NAC's air service to Westport, from the Lockheed Electra and DH Fox Moth days through to the Fokker Friendship

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2015/05/the-national-carrier-at-westport-part-1.html

A look at Air Nelson's Westport service with Metroliners and Piper Chieftains

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2015/06/the-national-carrier-at-westport-part-3.html

Air New Zealand Link's Beech 1900 service to Westport operated by Eagle Air

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2015/07/the-national-carrier-at-westport-part-4.html

A history of Origin Pacific Airways, a major regional player in the late 1990s and early 2000s

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2015/08/origin-pacific-airways-airline-for-our.html

 A profile on start up airline Originair flying from Nelson to Palmerston North and Wellington

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2015/08/originair-new-cook-strait-carrier.html

A profile on Barrier Air which took over from Great Barrier Airlines. Post regularly updated as the airline develops.

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2015/08/barrier-air-new-name-to-barrier-and.html

Air Marlborough operated between Blenheim and Wellington between 1996 and 1998

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2015/09/marlboroughs-commuter-airline-air.html

Short lived North Shore Air flew from North Shore Airport to Tauranga and Kerikeri

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2015/09/north-shore-air-aucklands-north-shore.html

Takaka Valley Air Services were the first airline to link Golden Bay with Wellington

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2015/10/takaka-valley-air-services-makes.html

Kiwi Regional fly from Dunedin to Nelson and Hamilton. Post regularly updated as the airline develops.

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2015/10/kiwi-regional-takes-flight.html

The forerunner to Air Nelson operated air services from Motueka to Wellington, Takaka and for a time Karamea

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2015/11/motueka-air-services.html 

Operated DH Dominie services from Christchurch to Ashburton, Timaru and Oamaru and north to Nelson

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2015/12/oamarus-first-christchurch-connection.html

In addition to these posts the profiles of Sounds Air and Sunair have been updated as these airlines continue to develop.

One of the big issues I have is getting current news from the regions. I appreciate details of any news items you see in community or local newspapers.

Projects currently under way for 2016

• A post on Air New Zealand's Friendship service to Westport but I need to source a photo/some photos of Friendships at Westport
• Combining the history Air Chathams into one post
• A history of Air Nelson
• A history of Air Albatross