.jpg)
Air Chathams' Douglas DC-3 ZK-AWP, Skyliner Kaitaia, departed Auckland at 6.45am for Kaitaia on the first leg of its ferry flight to Australia. It left Kaitaia for Norfolk Island at 8.30am
ZK-AWP was the last DC-3 in New Zealand operated on a scheduled air service. During the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 Air Chathams operated the airliner on a Saturday Auckland-Whakatāne service and on a Sunday Whakatāne-Auckland return.
A photo essay of one these flights can be found here : https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2015/11/air-chathams-majestic-flyer.html
While I applaud Air Chathams for saving and flying the aircraft , the speed of the sale and departure of the aircraft does raise eyebrows. I know aircraft are not cheap to operate , cost of fuel , insurance , maintenance etc , but surely between staff and management a plan could have been put in place to better utilise the aircraft.
ReplyDeleteIt's ironic that we have an orginsation trying to return to New Zealand , aircraft that have played a significant part in our rich aviation history and have an airline that sold an aircraft that in all honesty should not have been allowed to leave the country in the first place. We can only hope that one day , somehow she returns to this country and never be allowed to leave again. Government intervention maybe need to prevent items of historical value from being exported.
This comment may provoke some negative replies but it's the way I feel about the whole process.
Air Chathams are a commercial airline - not a scenic/joy flight operator. They are two very very different operations. Air Chathams are a commercial scheduled flight operator who have suffered a lot during Covid, and continue to struggle on some routes (hence the withdrawal from NLK)
DeleteYou mention the speed of the sale - it was most definitely not a speedy process. This was a sale a long time in the making. Just because it was announced to the public recently doesn't mean it was a sale that was made quickly.
A Buyer was not located in NZ, so off it goes to Australia. Air Chathams have no obligation to keep it here and spend money they need to sink back into their scheduled operations.
It's sad yes. Would love to have seen it stay here. But at the end of the day, Air Chathams are a private company, and an airline at that.
I tend to agree. It raises some eyebrows about the speed of the sale.
DeleteChats could have done so much more with this airframe - and all over the country rather than just in TRG, WHK, WAG and PPQ. Surely some time in South Island would have generated support too!
Alas.
At the end of the day - it is 'our' loss.
If Air Chathams could have made money with this DC3 remaining in NZ, they would have.
DeleteThe reality is, there is no money nor work for this aircraft in NZ.