It had been coming for sometime, and now it is happened. Air Chathams have retired their first and final Convair 580, ZK-CIB. The lockdown had meant more work for ZK-CIB and it flew a number of freight flights between Auckland and Christchurch over the las few weeks. It made its final visit to the Chatham Islands with a freight flight on the 9th of September 2021 flying from Auckland to the Chathams as CHATHAMS 591 and returning as CHATHAMS 519. It made its final visit to Christchurch with a freight flight on the 12th of September 2021 operating CHATHAMS 31 from Auckland to Christchurch and the return CHATHAMS 32 from Christchurch to Auckland. It finally bowed out of Air Chathams service on the 17th of September 2021 operating as CHATHAMS 580 from Auckland to Invercargill to pick up a cargo of live crayfish. The final flights were operated under the command of Captain Anthony Borich and First Officers Daryl Pettit and Ruthy Nisbet.
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| Convair 580 ZK-CIB departs Christchurch for the last time on 12 September 2021 |
Capt Anthony Borich
ReplyDeleteFOs Daryl Pettit and Ruthy Nisbet
Thanks for that... I missed seeing this comment come through earlier. Much appreciated
DeleteThey will have to get some more cargo capacity soon. Perhaps another ATR from NZ.
ReplyDelete29 flights for me on Bravo according to my Flight Memory. Trips to CHT are just not the same without the Connie. Bravo is a excellent, comfortable and reliable bird. Impeccably maintained by Air Chats, the plane has years of life left in her, if not choked by new Regulations and Requirements. Hope Bravo ends up in WKA where it can be enjoyed by generations to come, who can learns it's important history, not just here in NZ, but across the globe as well
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