Catching the Last Light of the Day

A big thanks to Terry Hodges who caught Air Chathams' Saab 340 ZK-CIY roaring into Nelson on the 26th of April 2024 which have been sitting in my inbox since the 26th... Apologies for the delay in posting them Terry... 

Terry wrote, Managed to get some pics of Air Chathams Saab CIY into Nelson, we don't see them much here, but I miss the sounds of the Saab in Nelson so had to make the effort to get some pics! Not the greatest shots but lighting was fast disappearing! She came over from Woodboune and then departed shortly after for WLG and then AKL

Air Chatham's Saab 340 ZK-CIY catching the last light of the day at Nelson on 26 April 2024

 

Sunair News

 

Sunair has been in the news a bit this week having restored its services from Gisborne (and/or Napier) to Hamilton and also from Hamilton to Whangarei. The first flight Gisborne-Hamilton flights was flown on Monday 29 April 2024 by Paul Corrin in Piper Aztec ZK-DIR. ZK-DIR also flew the first reinstated Hamilton-Whangarei service on 1 May 2024. 

A very interesting article also appeared on Stuff with a hint of new routes and new aircraft. Another watch this space moment...

A small Tauranga-based airline is defying a sluggish economy by expanding into new routes, with more destinations and aircraft on the horizon. Sunair began flying passengers into Hamilton Airport this week, linking up the Waikato with Napier, Whangārei and Gisborne every weekday. The airline, which started in 1985, currently has a fleet of nine Piper Aztec aircraft which also fly to Great Barrier, Wairoa, and Whitianga, as well as its home base in Tauranga. It has three other Cessna 172s used for flight training and sightseeing trips. Owner Dan Power told Stuff Travel the airline is going into an “expansion mode. We see opportunities at the moment, albeit in a technical recession and costs are high. In some ways it’s not the right time, but the opportunities are there as I see it.” Power said he wouldn’t call the expansion “brave”: “We’re optimistic it will be financially successful.” Sunair had previously flown into Hamilton as freight only but that finished some years ago. But Power said the time was right to add a passenger service now. “Hamilton and the surrounding area of Waikato is going through immense growth. Hamilton is now the fastest growing city in New Zealand. You only have to drive through it to see its booming really.” Power said there had been months of negotiations with Hamilton Airport, who had been “very responsive” to Sunair’s arrival. “Their airport, in my view, is somewhat underutilised and there’s certainly room for expansion of that airport and we want to be part of that.” Sunair joins Air New Zealand and Originair in using Hamilton, and the airport’s group chief executive Mark Morgan welcomed the new arrival. “It’s really encouraging that we’re able to see a regional airline that’s prepared to expand its services in what is a tough economic trading environment,” Morgan told the Waikato Times. “And I think that speaks a lot to the confidence of Sunair and to the fact that this region, the Waikato region, is growing in size, and businesses can take opportunities in this region that they would not ordinarily have done.” Currently one-way flights from Hamilton to its three destinations are $390 per person, and Power said Sunair’s primary market is business people “because our airplanes are smaller, our operating costs per seat are high. We can’t really get our airfares down to low levels that the leisure market expects”. Power said he has eyes on other routes as well “once we build our Hamilton-Tauranga connections with Eastland”, along with more aircraft early in 2025. 

Source and photos @ : https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/350262011/sunair-new-zealands-big-little-airline-spreading-its-wings

On the way to Dunedin - the planes

 Two phases to my Auckland plane spotting today, 28 April 2024... A quick drive by before going to park my car saw that Cessna 208B Grand Caravan ZK-ROW was about to departed leave so I waited to get it... It was a perfect day for plane spotting and for once disappointed that I had a flight to catch... but nonetheless some reasonable photos from Koru

Air Chathams' ATR 72-500 ZK-MCU

Air New Zealand ATR 72-600 ZK-MVA

Air New Zealand ATR 72-600 ZK-MVO

Air New Zealand Bombardier Q300 ZK-NEA

Air New Zealand Bombardier Q300 ZK-NFA

Air New Zealand Bombardier Q300 ZK-NFB

Air New Zealand Airbus 320 ZK-OAB

Air New Zealand Airbus 320 ZK-OJR... my ride to Dunedin

Air New Zealand Boeing 777-300 ZK-OKQ

Cessna 208B Grand Caravan ZK-ROW

Barrier Air Cessna 208B Grand Caravan ZK-SDB

Cessna 525 Citation VH-DAA

Jetstar Airbus 320 VH-VFU

Qantas Boeing 737-800 VH-VYZ

Air New Zealand @ WLG on the 19th

While I waited for Golden Bay Air's BN Islander to fly into Wellington on 19 April 2024 I was kept occupied photographing Air New Zealand who were having a busy day... still not convinced about the colour scheme

ATR 72-600 ZK-MVF

ATR 72-600 ZK-MVN

ATR 72-600 ZK-MVR

ATR 72-600 ZK-MVU

ATR 72-600 ZK-MZA

ATR 72-600 ZK-MZF

Bombardier Q300 ZK-NEA

Bombardier Q300 ZK-NEB

Bombardier Q300 ZK-NEC

Bombardier Q300 ZK-NEG

Bombardier Q300 ZK-NEK

Bombardier Q300 ZK-NEQ

Bombardier Q300 ZK-NEU

Airbus 320-271N ZK-NHE

Airbus A321-271NX ZK-NNA

Airbus 320-232 ZK-OAB

Airbus 320-232 ZK-OXF

Airbus 320-232 ZK-OXJ

 

On the way to Hokitika - the planes

It was a mucky day at Auckland on the 21st of April 2024 as set off from Auckland...

Qatar Airways Airbus 350-1000 A7-ANP off to Doha

Wamos Air Airbus 330-200 EC-NCK off to Perth

Air Chathams' ATR 72-500 ZK-MCO off to Whanganui 

Air New Zealand ATR72-600 ZK-MVV arriving

Delta Air Lines Airbus 350-900 N357DZ off to Los Angeles

Air New Zealand Bombardier Q300 ZK-NEB arriving

Air New Zealand Bombardier Q300 ZK-NEM arriving

Air New Zealand Air New Zealand Airbus 320-200 ZK-OAB arriving

Barrier Air Cessna 208B Grand Caravan ZK-SDD arriving

Jetstar Airbus 320-200 VH-VFD arriving

It was a better down in Christchurch... just not many movements in brief stopover

Sounds Air Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLZ off to Wanaka