Sad Day #2 for Sounds Air

 

Today, the 28th of September 2025, was the final day of Pilatus PC12 operations for Sounds Air with the aircraft operating to Christchurch, Wānaka, Paraparaumu, Nelson, Wellington and Blenheim for the final time.

If anyone has any photos to record these final flights I would appreciate a copy to illustrate this history... my email is westland831@gmail.com ... thanks, Steve

Three Pilatus PC12s were in action today.

Today, also marks the day  Sounds Air has withdrawn all its air services to Christchurch and Wānaka with these flights operated in Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLS. Departing Blenheim at 12.30pm it flew to Christchurch as S8 691 and from Christchurch to Wānaka with a 1.40pm scheduled departure as S8 791 for the final flights to Wānaka under the command of Phil Brewer. It then operated the northbound services with the final scheduled departure from Wānaka at 3.20pm for Christchurch as S8 792 and then a northbound service from Christchurch to Blenheim, S8 692 which has scheduled to depart at 4.30pm. It then operated a Kāpitit Coast flight departing Blenheim at 5.40pm and operated S8 414 from Blenheim to Paraparaumu and the return flight S8 415 which arrived back into Blenheim at 6.15pm. It then departed for Christchurch as S8 693 at 7.25pm. For its last sector of the day ZK-PLS, the PC12 that inaugurated Sounds Air's Pilatus PC12 services on the 28th of April 2015, in a nod to history, was given the honour of doing Sounds Air's final Pilatus PC12 flight, S8 694, departing Christchurch at 8.35pm to arrive into Blenheim at 9.25pm under the command of Logan Keats.

ZK-PLX, with Ash Hurndell as pilot, started the day at Wellington and departed for Nelson as S8 375 at 2.55pm before doing S8 from Nelson to Paraparaumu as S8 506 departing at 3.45pm and the return flight S8 507 departing at 4.35pm. It then operated S8 376 departing from Nelson for Wellington at 5.45pm before operating S8 291 from Wellington to Blenheim which was scheduled to arrive there at 7.45pm.

Farewell to Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLX at Nelson on 28 September 2025

ZK-PLB, with Jordan Williams as pilot, flew from Blenheim to Wellington at 2.45pm as S8 214 before flying what was a return scheduled flight to Picton but which operated instead to Blenheim as S8 127 with a scheduled departure of 3.30pm and S8 128 with a scheduled departure of 4.20pm. It then returned from Wellington to Blenheim as S8 213 before doing a another return flight to Wellington, S8 268, and S8 269 back with a scheduled departure from Wellington at 8.20pm and arriving into Blenheim at 8.50pm. 

Sounds Air has operated six Pilatus PC12s;

ZK-PLB - Pilatus PC12/47 (c/n 725)

@ Westport on 28 April 2021

ZK-PLS - Pilatus PC12/45 (c/n 363)

@ Westport on the inaugural service on 28 April 2015

Repainted in full Sounds Air colours @ Woodbourne on 23 February 2017 

ZK-PLT - Pilatus PC12/45 (c/n 379)

@ Taupō on 21 October 2016

ZK-PLV - Pilatus PC12/45 (c/n 400)

@ Wellington on 7 May 2024

ZK-PLX - Pilatus PC12/45 (c/n 396)

@ Christchurch on 6 December 2023

ZK-PLZ - Pilatus PC12/45 (c/n 445)

@ Taupō on the inaugural service on 2 June 2015

Repainted in the corporate scheme @ Wellington on 7 October 2024

The Pilatus PC12s have inaugurated a number of new Sounds Air services;

Sounds Air commenced Pilatus PC12 operations on the the 28th of April 2015 with ZK-PLS  inaugurating air services between Westport and Wellington on the 28th of April 2015 flying SDA 988 from Wellington to Westport and the return SDA 989. 

Pilatus PC-12 ZK-PLS on the day of the inaugural flight at Westport on 28 April 2015

Taupō to Wellington flights began on the 2nd of June 2015. Three return flights were operated each weekday with two return flights being operated on Saturdays and Sundays. After positioning from Woodbourne the first flight from Wellington to Taupō, SDA 803, was operated by Sounds Air's second Pilatus PC-12 ZK-PLZ under the command of Craig Anderson. Also on the flight deck was Sound's Air's Chief Pilot Willie Sage. 

Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLZ operating Sounds Air's first flight from Taupō departs for Wellington on 2 June 2015

The next new service Sounds Air's Pilatus PC12s inaugurated was between Blenheim and Napier on the 5th of November 2015. The inaugural services, northbound SDA712 and southbound SDA713, were flown in Pilatus PC-12 ZK-PLZ under the command of Tim Johnson. Six flights a week were flown departing Blenheim at 6.30am and 5pm and Napier at 8am and 6.30pm departures on Thursday and Fridays with a late afternoon return flight on Sundays and an early morning return flight on Mondays.

Passengers board Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLZ on Sounds Air's first flight from Napier to Blenheim on 5 November 2015. Photo Hawkes Bay Today

A further new Sounds Air Pilatus PC12 commenced between Blenheim and Christchurch on the 1st of August 2016 after Air New Zealand withdrew from the route the day before. Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLX was used for the first flights, SDA651 to Christchurch and SDA652 back to Blenheim. These were captained by Craig Anderson with Dave King as co-pilot. Eleven flights a week were offered between the two centres.

The first Pilatus PC12 service to be cut was that between Blenheim and Napier. Airline chairman John Stace said, the service is being cut because it was simply not viable to fund the route anymore. We had planes going one way empty and returning with only two to three passengers on board so in the end it wasn't viable." The final Napier service was operated on the 3rd of January 2020 with Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLB operating flights S8 714 from Blenheim to Napier and the return flight S8 715. 

The final Sounds Air flight into Napier arrives on 3 January 2020 operated by Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLB 

While Napier lost its Sounds Air service Wānaka gained a service from the 2nd of November 2020 with flights to Christchurch. The Wanaka service started with Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLV operating the first flight, SDA 710, from Wanaka to Christchurch and the return service flight SDA 711. Ten flights each week were operated.

Ready for the airline's first scheduled service to Christchurch, Sounds Air's Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLV at Wanaka on 2 November 2020 

However, the aviation industry had changed post-Covid. In October 2025 Sounds Air's CEO was reported observing that the aviation market is the toughest he has seen in his 21 years at the airline: “Post Covid, the combination of staggering jet fuel costs, a weak NZD exchange rate, increasing landing fees and CAA charges, wage pressures, high interest rates, and the dramatic international escalation in the costs of servicing engines have been crippling. These challenges led to the services between Wellington and Taupō and Wellington and Westport ending on the 31st of January 2024. The last flights, SDA 804 from Wellington to Taupō and S8 805 from Taupō to Wellington and SDA 903 from Wellington to Westport and SDA 904, from Westport to Wellington were flown in Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLZ under the command of Na'ama Gueta.

Sounds Air's Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLZ ready to board its 3 passengers at Taupō with the airline's last flight to Wellington, S8 805, on 31 December 2024

Sounds Air's Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLZ at Westport on 31 December 2024 before operating S8 904, the final Sounds Air service to Wellington. Photo : Pete Dickson

With today's final flights we farewell an incredible aircraft from the New Zealand regional airline scene. At the same time I wish Sounds Air all the best as it continues to face the challenges of these difficult days for our regional airlines.

A full, updated history of Sounds Air can be found here : https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2014/08/sounds-air-fast-scenic-way-to-cross.html