Oamaru's New Air Service Gets Airborne

Mainland Air's new air service between Oamaru and Christchurch commenced today. The inaugural flight left Oamaru at 7.30am with three passengers under the command of Sven Thelning and Phil Kean in Mainland Air's Piper Pa31-350 Navajo Chieftain ZK-KVW.

Arriving into Christchurch this morning, Mainland Air's inaugural air service between Oamaru and Christchurch.

Today's Oamaru Mail reported on a meeting yesterday with Mainland Air's owner Philip Kean... Despite no fare-paying passengers being on the flight with less than 24 hours to go, and only one booking for the Friday flight, chief executive officer of Mainland Air Services’ Philip Kean remained optimistic about the Oamaru-Christchurch and return service and said there was plenty of support for it. Mr Kean visited Oamaru Airport yesterday to meet pilot Sven Thelning and to organise the final logistics of today’s flights. This included setting up a computer, organising overnight parking for the plane and discussing flight paths for good and bad weather. (http://www.oamarumail.co.nz/featured/new-air-service-starts/).

The service operates twice daily on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with a return afternoon service being operated on a Sunday afternoon. In Christchurch passengers for Oamaru wait at the domestic departure gate for the flight to arrive from Oamaru and meeting the pilot for the flight south.

For more photos of the first flight see : http://www.odt.co.nz/regions/north-otago/304766/sun-rises-new-mainland-service

For a history on Mainland Air see : http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2010/10/mainland-air-last-airline-to-operate-to.html

Napier-Chatham Connection

Air New Zealand may have a competitor for Hawke's Bay flights to Auckland, with the possible resumption of flights to the Chatham Islands. Chatham Islanders are referred to Hawke's Bay for specialist medical care and have their airfares, via Wellington, paid for by the health board. The weekly service ran from 2007 to 2012 before it was cancelled. In talks with the Hawke's Bay District Health Board, Air Chathams owner Craig Emeny said the Chatham Islands-Auckland service flew over Napier and once stopped there in the hope of picking up additional freight or passengers. "It didn't work - we didn't increase our revenue, we just increased our operational costs," he said. "Because of the recession everything dried up at that time." At yesterday's monthly board meeting chairman Kevin Atkinson said the health board was in talks with Mr Emeny about resuming the service. "If we could get the service reinstated during the day, at the right timing and cost, there could be significant savings for us," he said. "The other opportunity would be to utilise that flight to do an Auckland to Napier flight run. There might be an opportunity to our community to have an alternative to Air New Zealand." Favouring reinstatement is the recent lengthening of the Hawke's Bay Airport runway, enabling Air Chathams planes to carry a full load of freight. Mr Emeny said he was very keen for the service to resume because it would make it easier for Chatham Islanders to access health care. He said a Ministry of Health team was currently surveying islanders over which part of New Zealand it would prefer to service its health needs, but even if the ministry decided Hawke's Bay would no longer be the health provider it would be about 18 months before patients were redirected. "So we still have an opportunity." Talks will continue once the board quantifies its needs so that Chatham Islanders can enjoy a same-day service, avoiding a multi-connection flight to reach specialist appointments. An air ambulance service to the Chatham Islands is provided by Skyline Aviation based at Hawke's Bay Airport.

The Hawkes Bay Today newspaper is certainly keen for more flights to Auckland... The article's headline was More Flights to Auckland. From my reading of the article that's not what it was about! And check out the aircraft photo they used, Maybe Air Chats are re-equipping... I wonder if Craig is aware of that! 

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&objectid=11263917

Airbus 321 for Air New Zealand in 14 Airbus order

Air New Zealand has today announced further fleet investment with the purchase of 13 new Airbus A320neo (new engine option) aircraft to refresh its international narrow body fleet and an additional A320 to join its domestic operation. Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer, Christopher Luxon, signed the purchase agreement with Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers, John Leahy at the International Air Transport Association’s Annual General Meeting in Doha, Qatar, today. The A320neo aircraft will replace Air New Zealand’s current fleet of 13 A320s which operate the majority of the airline’s Tasman and Pacific Island services.  Equipped with new generation engines and fuel efficient Sharklet wing tip devices they’re expected to deliver fuel savings of up to 15 percent. The purchase agreement is for a combination of A321neo and A320neo aircraft.  The exact mix will be confirmed over time but will be a minimum of three A321neo aircraft. The A321neo aircraft will have 38 more seats than the A320s the airline currently operates across the Tasman and to the Pacific, allowing for future growth on these routes.  The first A321neo is due in late 2017 with the remainder of the aircraft delivered at intervals through until 2019.  The additional A320 for the domestic fleet will be delivered in early 2015.

An Airbus image of the new Airbus 321neos in Air NZ colours

A look at the size difference between the A320 above and the A321 below... both examples the standard aircraft. Both photos taken at Athens on 1 July 2012

and a couple more at Sydney on 2 June 2013, the A320 above displays sharklet wingtips. According to Wikipedia the improvements on the new A320-neo aircraft include aerodynamic refinements, such as adding large curved winglets (Sharklets) with 3.5% fuel burn improvements, weight savings, a new cabin, and engine improvements. Although these engine improvements were fitted into the A320 in 2007/2008 with the CFM56 Tech Insertion and the V2500Select (One), they were estimated with improvements of only 1-2%, which finally led to Airbus's decision of going with the new engine option, abbreviated "neo" 

Kia Orana - Welcome aboard this Air Rarotonga flight 618 to Aitutaki...

While visiting Rarotonga I took the opportunity to meet Ewan Smith, founder of Air Rarotonga, to do a little research on Air Rarotonga. Not only was he most generous in his time but he also arranged a flight to Aitutaki on the flight deck of Air Rarotonga's Saab 340 E5-EFS. This is my record of the flight 618 up to Aitutaki and 619 back to Rarotonga on the 23rd of May 2014.

On the flight deck today is Captain Ianis Boaza... 

...and First Officer Eddie Tuaati

while looking after your inflight passenger safety and comfort is Tevai Napa

Today we are flying in Saab 340 E5-EFS

The front office of the Saab 340

All ticketed so...

thumbs up - good to go...

Lining up Runway 26

Right turn after take off to intercept the 347 radial for Aitutaki 142 nautical miles north

Cruise was at 12,000 feet before the descent into Aitutaki - the first glimpse

The islands starts to take shape with the different little islands within the lagoon. Aitutaki has 3 volcanically formed islands and 12 coral motu (islets).

The islands from bottom to top... Motukito, Tapuaetai (One Foot Island), Tekopua, Muritapua and Akaiami

In 1951 the predecessor to Air New Zealand, Tasman Empire Airlines or TEAL as it was known, introduced the Coral route. Solent flying boats flew from Auckland's Waitemata Harbour across to Fiji, Samoa, Aitutaki and Tahiti. The TEAL's 'airport' at Aitutaki was on Akaiami. About a third of the way along the bay from the right you can see a brown smudge where the causeway was for the flying boat passengers... check out http://vimeo.com/60697188 and you will see what I mean. The flying boat service ended in 1960. Today the Air Rarotonga service to Aitutaki is its successor.

With a surface wind at 170 degrees at 10 knots we join downwind for Runway 14

Looking over towards the more volcanic part of Aitutaki as we come up to the southern end of the runway (on the right)

The Aitutaki airfield was built for the Americans at the end of World War II - the cross runway is closed 

The weather wasn't the best... cloud with some passing showers but nonetheless fascinating... I was really surprised to see the raised land

Echo Foxtrot Sierra finals Runway 14 - Air Rarotonga uses registrations for callsigns rather than flight numbers...

This was the third trip to to Aitutaki for Saab 340 E5-EFS... at peak times the Saab will do five trips

Aituaki terminal....

...and emergency services

Lining up again on Runway 14 for the flight south

Some last glimpses of the lagoon

Somewhere through there is Rarotonga - cleared from non standard Flight Level 120 to 1500 feet

and there is Rarotonga

Joining left base for 08

The domestic terminal and international check-in 

An Air Rarotonga publicity shot of Aitutaki... Air Rarotonga offer up to five flights a day with a same day return and tour of the island. Well worth doing

My thanks to Ewan and the crew of GZ618/619 for making this a wonderful day. 

Next weekend I will post a profile on Air Rarotonga

If you are planning a trip to the Cook Islands look up more on options for including Aitutaki in your itinerary on the Air Rarotonga website... http://www.airraro.com/