It seems Fairchild Metro 23 ZK-POE flew what was most likely its last flight for NZ Post (Express Couriers) on Thursday the 19th of January as POST91/92 from Auckland to Palmerston North and return.
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| Fairchild Metro 23 ZK-POE at Auckland on 7 October 2014 |
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| Fairchild Metro 23 ZK-POE at Auckland on 5 February 1995 |
Fairchild Metro 23 ZK-POF did its last flight two nights earlier on Tuesday on the 17th of January 2017.
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| Fairchild Metro 23 ZK-POF at Auckland on 2 October 2014 |
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The two Metro 23s will be kept operational until the end of January however crew training has ceased and the crews are being re-assigned. Three of the four remaining pilots are about to start their Being 737 trainin g and the fourth is about to move on to something else.
The aircraft are for sale so their final destiny remains unknown. They will join the two Fokker Friendships in storage after this month as they all await disposal.
It seems that Fairchild Metroliner III ZK-POB was sold to Air Chathams in December.
In September 1990 it was announced that New Zealand Post Ltd was forming a joint venture with Airwork (1984) Ltd to use two Metroliners to service main trunk route requirements for its express mail service, Fastpost. It was foreseen that the operation will fly two Metroliner III Auckland, Palmerston North, Wellington and Christchurch five days a week. Palmerston North was announced as the hub of the operation to avoid problems with the airport curfew at Wellington. The joint venture which was known as Air Post began Metroliner operations on the 15th of January 1991 with Metroliners, ZK-NSS, ZK-POA, and ZK-POB. The two new Fairchild Metro 23s, ZK-POE and ZK-POF were added to the fleet in October 1994.
Interesting Steve, I happened to see POE taxi out Thursday evening as I arrived at work not knowing it was to be its last run :-(
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