Air Chathams Bits and Pieces

I was out at the airport on Monday and caught Air Chathams' Aero Commander 690A ZK-PVB 

Aero Commander 690A ZK-PVB at Auckland on 23 October 2023

Outside Air Chathams hangar was ZK-CID. It did a test flight on the 17th of October having not flown for some time.

In the hangar was Saab 340A ZK-CIW, still in the Pel-Air scheme but with Air Chathams' titles. Something to watch for.

A Quiet Sunday at North Shore

Maule MXT-7-180A ZK-RLT at North Shore on 22 October 2023

Island Aviation's Cessna 172 ZK-RNX at North Shore on 22 October 2023

My first photo of Vans RV12 ZK-SCM at North Shore on 22 October 2023

The very slick JMB Aircraft VL-3TE-915 ZK-VLT at North Shore on 22 October 2023

 

Airwork Freighter Ready for Action

Arriving into Auckland late this afternoon was Airwork's Boeing 737-400 ZK-TLF on its second incarnation with the operator. It left Auckland on the 7th of October as AIRWORK 91 for repaintng in Townsville. Yesterday it flew to Brisbane as AIRWORK 99. Today it flew to Auckland as AIRWORK 94. 

ZK-TLF began work on the 24th of October flying AIRWORK 3 from Auckland to Christchurch in the morning and then AIRWORK 4 from Christchurch to Auckland and AIRWORK on to Melbourne. It returned to Christchurch via Auckland on the morning of the 25th.

Airwork (NZ)'s Boeing 737-400 freighter arriving into Auckland on 23 October 2023

 

History Updated - NAC @ CHT

I have recently updated my profile history of the NAC service to the Chatham Islands with details of the two charter flights operated in 1966. It can be found here... http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2014/07/nac-first-civil-operator-to-chathams-on.html

ZK-TXA @ AKL

I was delighted to capture Texel Air's new Boeing 737-800 ZK-TXA at Auckland this morning, 21 October 2023, operating TEXEL 6101 to Christchurch

 

Heaphy Track reopened

After being closed for 18 months the Heaphy Track is open for business. This is good news for Golden Bay Air which operates regular flights between Nelson and Takaka to and from Karamea.

Already Golden Bay Air's Piper Archer ZK-ZOG has already made a few trips to Karamea.

A couple of years ago I took the opportunity to try and their flights between the two rural centres and I would highly recommend it if you are holidaying in the Tasman Bay/ Golden Bay area ... you can have a look here 

https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2022/01/g1-132-from-takaka-to-karamea.html

and here 

https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-return-g1-312-from-karamea-to-takaka.html

 

ZK-TXA on line

Texel Air's latest Boeing 737-800 was placed on the New Zealand civil aircraft register on the 18th of October 2023 as ZK-TXA, The aircraft arrived in Auckland on the 29th of September as N739CE before flying to Hamilton to be readied for service.

The second Boeing 737-800 for Texel Air's Australasian operations, N739CE departing Auckland for Hamilton on 29 September 2023

Yesterday afternoon the aircraft flew from Hamilton to Auckland. Today it has operated to Christchurch as TEXEL 6101 and it is expected to return as TEXEL 6102

 

A Quick Update...

 

Earlier this month I posted my profile on Merlin Labs's air service... 

https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2023/10/merlin-labs-part-time-freight-airline.html

Around about the same time I noticed a change in their operations as follows...

From the 4th of October 2023 the pattern of Merlin Labs' regular freight flights changed with the aircraft operating return Kerikeri-Auckland flights. The last Kerikeri-Palmerston North-Auckland-Kerikeri routine was operated on the 27th of September. While the new pattern is still evolving these seem to operate Monday to Thursday with the flights leaving Kerikeri at about 5.00pm and then flights returning to Kerikeri leaving in the early evening. On occasions the aircraft stops at Whangarei on the southbound flight. On the 11th of October Cessna Grand Caravan ZK-MLN was used on the service for the first time operating via Whangarei. It did a similar routine, but in the middle of the day, the following day and "normal" Kerikeri-Auckland return flights on the 16th.

Mystery SOLVED

Can anyone help me identify the location of where this Whites Aviation photo of NAC de Havilland DH89B ZK-AKU is taken??? 

My initial thought was Hokitika but the hills in the background seem wrong. 

As far as I can recall the following airports were served by NAC Dominies... Kaitaia, Kaikohe, Whangarei, Whenuapai, Hamilton, Rotorua, Paraparaumu, Wellington, Blenheim, Nelson, Westport, Hokitika, Franz Josef, Haast, Taieri and Invercargill...

Any thoughts???

 

A comment below about the sand got me thinking and about the old Whakarewarewa aerodrome site on Fenton St, Rotorua... After searching the MOTAT site I found this great photo of Guide Tina and an unidentified woman waving Oscar Garden goodbye as he flies off at Rotorua airport in aircraft Kia Ora taken at Rotorua on the 17th of December 1930. The hills match the photo above...

Source : https://collection.motat.nz/objects/107327/guide-tina-and-unidentified-woman-waving-oscar-garden-goodbye 

History Updated - TEAL's Domestic Run

 

And your starter for 10... TEAL was known for being New Zealand's international airline, but what was its domestic service???

scroll down for the answer...

If you answered Wellington to the Chatham Islands you nailed it... Working on another post I found a couple of interesting articles from 1953 and 1954 - 70 years ago - which I have added to my post on TEAL's service to one of New Zealand's most interesting domestic destinations... The Chathams have been served with some really interesting types of the years... from the various types of flying boats, Bristol Freighters, Argosies, Cessna 337s and Convairs... With all due respect to Craig, Duane, Matt and the Air Chatham's team the ATR is not quite in the classic category!

The updated post can be found here http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2014/07/teals-domestic-route-wellington-to.html

Kaitaia airport upgrade

 The government has pledged more than $5 million to do urgent maintenance and upgrade work at Kaitāia Airport. New Zealand's northernmost airport came close to shutting down earlier this year due to a long-running dispute over land ownership. While a deal negotiated by local iwi Ngāi Takoto with government ministers means the airport will stay open for at least the next 35 years, it is now in dire need of an upgrade. Funding of $5.4m from the government's $6 billion National Resilience Plan, which aims to lift infrastructure resilience after extreme weather events, will pay for a runway upgrade, drain maintenance, new security fencing and lighting, and refuelling facilities. Te Tai Tokerau MP Kelvin Davis said the airport was essential for access to health services, use by Civil Defence, and as an alternative to road transport when highways were closed by slips or flooding. "Kaitāia Airport is a critical resource for Te Tai Tokerau's communities but is in dire need of urgent upgrades to stay operational, which this funding will allow," Davis said. State Highway 1 has been closed south of Kaitāia since August 2022 by a series of massive landslides in Mangamuka Gorge, and SH10 is regularly closed by flooding. The airport rescue deal negotiated by Ngāi Takoto will see the iwi buy the airport land from the Crown - a valuation is underway to establish the price - then place it in a joint iwi-hapū trust. Trust ownership will be split 50-50 between Ngāi Takoto and three hapū of Ngāti Kahu with connections to the land. Airport maintenance had been on hold for years due to uncertainty over its continued operation, and when the rescue deal was struck in August it was not yet clear how the catch-up would be funded. 

Bigger Plane, Fewer Flights

 

Posted on Air Chathams website is the news that Saabs are going to take over the Whakatāne service... 

Air Chathams is proud to have operated scheduled flights between Whakatāne and Auckland for more than 8 years. We now have the opportunity to introduce our SAAB340 airliner on the route from the 20th November 2023.

The new timetable brings some big changes to the Whakatāne schedule...

• The frequency drops from 3 flights a day on weekdays to 2. 
• The Saab will not overnight at Whakatāne with the exception of Mondays meaning there will be no early morning service to Auckland or early evening return to Whakatāne... one wonders how the business community will cope with this.
• There are no Saturday flights.

One wonders if the introduction of the Saab will mark the end of Metroliner operations.

Merlin Labs - The Part Time Freight Airline

UPDATED - NOVEMBER 2025
 

Since the 29th of June 2023 Merlin Labs has been operating a part-time or sideline air freight service in New Zealand alongside its main focus of researching and developing unmanned flight operations.

New Zealand's journey towards unmanned flight operations began on the 20th of July 2020 when the Government's Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development, Fletcher Tabuteau, announced a number of Provincial Growth Fund packages for companies in the top of the South Island. Among these was a $3 million Infrastructure Reference Group investment in Apollo Aviation - Hawk Eye Limited and Apollo Autonomy - to further develop software that will enable unmanned airfreight operations, with an operation run out of Nelson and initial piloted flights between Nelson, Westport and Christchurch. The Apollo Aviation project will create up to 10 jobs in the short term, and between 25-40 permanent jobs as the project develops. 

The following month, on the 6th of August 2020, the Nelson Weekly gave a good background to the players and the company that was eventually going to take to the New Zealand skies as Merlin Labs... A Boston-based startup and the founder of a Middle Eastern air freight company are planning to make Nelson the world’s centre of unmanned aircraft flight – powered entirely by artificial intelligence. And now they have New Zealand Government backing to the tune of $3 million. However, that number represents a tiny portion of what Apollo Flight Research and Hawke Eye plan to spend on the project. The companies have a vision to achieve the first world’s first unmanned flight certification which would allow it to operate commercially. “It’s a big game changer,” says John Chisolm of Hawke Eye. “It will attract people from all over the world to see it, so it will be good for Nelson.” John, who lives in the Nelson region, has had a long career in logistics and freight aircraft – including starting Texel Air in Bahrain several years ago. He was approached by Matt George of Merlin Labs, trading as Apollo Aviation, to develop the concept of bringing that company’s IP to New Zealand. Merlin Labs, based in Boston, has had backing from several venture capital companies in its seed round, including backers of ride-sharing companies Uber and Lyft. The company uses technology including artificial intelligence, machine-learning, and systems similar to those used in driverless cars. The aircraft differ from drones, which are operated by a pilot. Speaking from the United States, Matt said the company already had competed successful test flights in the Mojave Desert in California. In the Nelson project, the idea is to put that technology into existing aircraft, such as Cessna Caravans, to start unmanned freight flights between Nelson, the West Coast and Canterbury. That project will take place over at least two years, carrying an onboard safety pilot in all the early phases. John says that it is all in service of reinventing the flight industry to save costs on freight. “A critical differentiator of Apollo’s system is the use of existing affordable aircraft that are already certified and approved for operation without the need for complex aircraft development.” Matt says the company elected to centre the company’s civil certification programme in New Zealand because of the country’s supportive regulatory and business environment. He also says the Civil Aviation Authority has a “progressive approach” to go along with the country’s relatively uncluttered airspace. In Boston, Apollo employs a team of highly qualified professionals in several fields including artificial intelligence and machine learning scientists, test pilots, flight test engineers, data analysts, aircraft maintenance, repair and modification and avionics. Matt says most of these skills will be replicated in New Zealand, requiring significant employment of skilled personnel, and Apollo will be making a substantial investment in the New Zealand operation. Apollo has also approached New Zealand universities and research agencies to identify collaborative research opportunities. months. 

Cessna 172S ZK-CTY was the first aircraft registered to Apollo Flight Research NZ Limited on the 22nd of December 2020. On the 7th of April 2021 a change of ownership showed it registered to Merlin Labs NZ Limited. It remained with Merlin Labs until the 12th of June 2024.

The surprise was Merlin Lab's Cessna 172 ZK-CTY at Kerikeri on 7 January 2023

With the Covid-19 Pandemic demand fell Milford Sounds Flights leased Merlin Labs Cessna 208B Grand Caravan ZK-MCS and this aircraft became the platform for the prototype Merlin Labs New Zealand unmanned freighter aircraft. After a short time Merlin Labs have decided they wanted a Caravan with a Legacy cockpit rather than the G1000 cockpit ZK-MCS was equipped with and this aircraft went to Barrier Air as ZK-SDE

Carrying Merlin Labs titles, Cessna 208B Grand Caravan ZK-MCS at Hamilton on 2 June 2021

Cessna 208B Grand Caravan ZK-MCS was replaced with another another Cessna Grand Caravan from Milford Sound Flights, ZK-MCL. This was leased by Merlin Labs from August 2021 to December 2022.

On the 16th of September 2021 Aviation Today announced that the Civil Aviation Authority had awarded Merlin Labs its first certification basis for an autonomous flight system that day having developed a “takeoff to touchdown” autonomy system for aircraft that will perform all the duties of a human pilot. The system uses a “sense, think, act” control loop to complete these tasks, Matthew George, Founder and CEO of Merlin Labs, told Aviation Today. The avionics system uses GPS/INS, air data, and attitude and heading reference system (ADHRS) to update the system with a three-dimensional position of the aircraft and its attitude at all times. The system uses a flight computer to do the thinking part of the autonomy which can be adjusted for a specific aircraft type. “The thinking is done by our flight Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) computer which has knowledge of the desired flight path and information about airport approach and departure routes,” George said. “The flight plan has to be executed while taking into account regulatory flight rules, as well as aircraft performance limits. In fact, a significant part of our development process is focused on tuning our control system to the detailed flight dynamics of the specific aircraft type to be able to plan and fly trajectories like a pilot would.”  The system then performs actions using actuators connected to the aircraft which are directed by the flight computer. “The flight computer commands a number of actuators that are mechanically connected to the aircraft,” George said. “Thus, the system can 'act,' by causing the physical surfaces of the aircraft to move, just as a pilot would do with the yoke, pedals or throttle levers. In this way, the flight computer can direct the aircraft through its entire flight path. The unique thing about our system is that our computer is sophisticated enough and our actuators are strong enough to fly an aircraft not just up and away (like typical autopilots), but also through all phases of takeoff and landing, stop to stop.” The system is still flying with an onboard safety pilot to function as the legal pilot in command. 

Merlin Labs has been testing its system for the last two years achieving 53,000 km of autonomous flight. “The Merlin system has flown on four experimental test aircraft for a total of 380 sorties over the last two years, with over 53,000 km of autonomous flying,” George said. “This testing includes up and away patterns, waypoints, loiters as well as autonomous takeoff and landing on the 10 different runways in our FAA-designated test area.” The certification project is a joint project with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to be able to gain certification for the system in New Zealand and the U.S. concurrently, George said. “Now that we have an issued certification basis, we’ll continue to work with the regulator to validate our approach, culminating in entrance to commercial service,” George said. “There are various engagement points along the way that are agreed to in our certification plan and we will be following those. In parallel, we are continuing our work to advance the next steps toward full autonomy.”

Merlin Labs took delivery of its own Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, VH-LYT,  on the 1st of October 2021 Unfortunately, while on its ferry flight from Australia, it experience serious damage from lightning strikes. It was placed on New Zealand register as ZK-MLN on the 15th of October 2021 but the damage was such that it didn't fly to Palmerston North until the 8th of March 2022.

Merlin Labs' Cessna 208B Grand Caravan ZK-MLN at Paraparaumu on 13 August 2022

Cessna TU206F Turbo Stationair ZK-OAY was registered to Merlin Labs NZ Ltd on the 16th of September 2022 and this became ZK-MLP a couple of months later on the 14th of November 2022.

Cessna 206 ZK-MLP taken at Paraparaumu by Jordan Elvy on 19 December 2022

Initially Merlin Labs were based at Papaparaumu's Kāpiti Coast Airport. Merlin Lab's local CEO, Shaun Johnson, told Kāpiti Urban Eventually, I felt the pull to my hometown. I think it was the appeal of giving something back to the next generation. I ended up having a conversation with the Chief Executive of the Far North District Council and he explained how unemployment is a real problem, getting kids into high-value jobs is a problem… I wanted to do something to help change something there, and amazingly, after giving my two cents, Far North Holdings said they would build us a hangar. The council had asked ‘why Kerikeri?’, and the answer was two-fold. First, the terrain and the airspace, which is similar to Kāpiti, is ideal for the projects we were dreaming about. Second, there ended up being three of us from Kerikeri who incidentally all joined the Air Force and by chance had come back together. That combined interest in doing something in the place where we were from is a big part of why we’ve seen such success... They built us a brand new, purpose-built flight test facility, which we lease back off them, and we were able to put down roots.  

Air Cargo Week announced on the 26th of May 2023 that Merlin, the leading developer of safe, autonomous flight technology for fixed-wing aircraft, has announced the opening of its center for operations in Kerikeri, New Zealand. With the opening of this facility, Merlin is now equipped with a dedicated test environment to support further technological development and certification activities of its New Zealand-based Cessna Caravans that underpin the capability, safety, and effectiveness of its autonomous flight technology. 

This article also announced details of the new air freight service. Merlin has also partnered with Freightways New Zealand to deliver freight to northern New Zealand, creating a multi-purpose facility that provides substantial and invaluable first-hand experience in freight carrier operations. 

Putting regional facilities in place enables Merlin to meticulously evaluate its equipment and technology. The testing completed in New Zealand and the corresponding learnings will guide future development decisions to be implemented worldwide, ensuring in-air operability and certification with the Federal Aviation Association (FAA) and Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (CAA). This announcement follows Merlin’s recent achievement, Stage of Involvement (SOI) 1, with the CAA announced on 15th May. “Before autonomous flight can scale, we must conduct a considerable amount of prerequisite work. As a birthplace of aviation innovation, New Zealand has more than 100 years of history-making work. It’s exciting to have Merlin’s best-in-class capabilities here and put them to the test,” Shaun Johnson, CEO of Merlin New Zealand, said. “Our talented team is devoted to ensuring a more resilient air network continues to safely grow globally. With this new facility, we now have the infrastructure needed to modify aircraft with the Merlin Pilot while simultaneously running freight operations in support of rural New Zealand.” 

This testing facility puts Merlin at the forefront of autonomous flight innovation, providing ample opportunity to increase its technical maturity. With a test, learn, and iterate approach, this center for operations will rapidly increase Merlin’s progress to scale the future of autonomy. To date, Merlin has conducted over 500 autonomous flights. The Merlin New Zealand facility in the Bay of Islands includes an aircraft hangar, maintenance workshops, and office space. The primary focus in New Zealand is the advanced development of Merlin technology and certification activities. 

When possible, this facility is also available to support broader New Zealand aerospace activities, including a recent New Zealand Defence Force parachute training school deployment to the region. Additionally, Merlin’s first test aircraft were deployed in recent weeks to assist in the regional flood relief efforts, showcasing Merlin’s commitment to supporting the community in which it works while simultaneously advancing its technical capabilities.

A few days later Merlin Labs took delivery of Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster N208FF which arrived from the USA on the 29th of May 2023.

Merlin Lab's Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster N208FF at Auckland after its delivery flight on 30 May 2023. It had arrived into Auckland the previous evening.

The Cargomaster was placed on the New Zealand civil register as ZK-MLO on the 7th of June 2023.

Merlin Labs operated their first air freight flight on the 29th of June 2023 when Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster ZK-MLO flew from Kerikeri's Bay of Islands' Airport to Palmerston North before positioning to Paraparaumu. An article in the Northern Advocate on the 26th of June had reported that Merlin has signed a deal with Freightways businesses Fieldair, Parceline and New Zealand Couriers to deliver the cargoes. The first flight will be on Thursday, when the companies will deliver domestic courier items from the Boston-based tech firm’s NZ outpost of Kerikeri to Auckland and through to Palmerston North in an increasingly autonomous capacity. At first, two pilots will continue to supervise the trips while the Merlin team integrates its software and hardware into the Cessna fleet on-site. Freightways trucks and couriers will then pick up the cargo and integrate the items into the nationwide courier network, creating efficiencies and another option for congestion or emergencies on the road that will support the current team to meet service standards in New Zealand. 

"More regular" flights began on the 4th of July 2023. Merlin Lab's freight flights run, which are always operated by the Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster ZK-MLO, fly on a semi-scheduled ad-hoc basis. When flight operate a Kerikeri-Palmertson North service  departs Kerikeri about 5.00pm to arrive at Palmerston North at about 7.00pm. The return service departs Palmerston North at about 8.15pm to arrive at Auckland at 9.30pm. The final sector back to Kerikeri departs at about 10.00pm to arrive about 10.45pm. Three to four of these flight schedules are operated each week, generally on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Occasionally Kerikeri-Auckland return services are operated instead.

In saying "more regular" that doesn't mean the flights are regular. Since I wrote this post there seemed to be a Kerikeri-Auckland return service operated on Mondays over two or three weeks but then the Palmerston North flights seemed to recede.

Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster ZK-MLO at Kerikeri on 5 September 2023.

ZK-MLO being towed across the airport for refuelling and loading its freight

On the way to Palmerston North, ZK-MLO on the taxi and backtrack at Kerikeri

From the 4th of October 2023 the pattern of the regular freight flights changed with the aircraft operating return Kerikeri-Auckland flights. The last Kerikeri-Palmerston North-Auckland-Kerikeri routine was operated on the 27th of September. These flights usually operate Monday to Thursday with the flights leaving Kerikeri at about 5.00pm and then flights returning to Kerikeri leaving in the early evening. On occasions the aircraft stops at Whangarei on the southbound flight. On the 11th of October Cessna Grand Caravan ZK-MLN was used on the service for the first time and it has continued to be used alongside ZK-MLO.

From the 28th of November 2023 another flight pattern started with Merlin Labs' freight flights. Instead of flying a late afternoon/early evening Kerikeri-Auckland return service the operator started operating an early morning Kerikeri-Auckland service departing Kerikeri at about 5.00am and then returning from Auckland to Whangarei and then on to Kerikeri. These first of these flights operated on the 29th of November 2023 using Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster ZK-MLO.

Merlin Labs' Cessna 208B Grand Caravan ZK-MLN at Hamilton on 25 November 2023

The regular air freight service ceased on the 15th of December 2023 with Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster ZK-MLO operating from Kerikeri to Auckland and then returning to Kerikeri via Whangarei. Their Cessna 208B Grand Caravan ZK-MLN last operated the service on the 8th of December 2023. Regular services did not resume in 2024 following the summer holidays.

In mid-2024 Merlin Labs' Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster ZK-MLO was chartered by Air Kaikoura to assist their airfreighting of crayfish from Kaikoura to Wellington. The Cargomaster did some proving flights between Kaikoura and Wellington on the 7th, 10th and 12th of May with the first flight from Kaikoura to Wellington operated on the 16th of May 2024. These were non-scheduled freight flights. Normally the aircraft positioned from Paraparaumu to Kaikoura before operating an air freight flight from Kaikoura to Wellington. The aircraft then returned to Paraparaumu. The Cargomaster was used to supplement Air Kaikoura's Gippsland Airvan ZK-EHS which remains the mainstay of fulfilling the air freight contract. The Merlin Labs flights operated on a reasonably regular basis until the 26th of June and the resumed on the 4th of November 2024. By the end of 2024 the Cargomaster had operated 30 Kaikoura to Wellington flights.

Merlin Labs'  Cessna 208B Cargomaster ZK-MLO ZK-CIW arriving from Kaikoura at Wellington on 14 November 2024

 

Merlin Labs' Cessna 206 ZK-MLP at Kerikeri on 8 November 2024

From early 2025 the Cargomaster ZK-MLO again operated a number of Air Kaikoura crayfish flights from Kaikoura to Wellington. These operated through to mid-June. 

On the 6th of February 2025 Taupo Tandem Skydiving's Cessna 208 Grand Caravan ZK-JMP did a Kerikeri local flight using the callsign MERLIN 1. It then positioned to Paraparaumu on the 7th of November. On the 10th of November, it flew to Kaikoura and operated two crayfish flights from Kaikoura to Wellington as MERLIN 1. Further flights from were operated from the 12th of November but with a new development. After operating the flight to Wellington on the 12th the Caravan then flew to Invercargill. On the 14th it operated as MERLIN 1 from Invercargill to Christchurch with crayfish on board, before positioning to Kaikoura to operate a crayfish flight to Wellington and then returning to Paraparaumu. This pattern of Invercargill to Christchurch and Kaikoura to Wellington freight flights continued as needed. 

Taupo Tandem Skydiving's Cessna 208 Grand Caravan ZK-JMP as MERLIN 1 at Wellington on 14 November 2025. Photo : T Gorman 

Because of the commercial sensitivity of developing the unmanned flight operations Merlin Labs remains somewhat of a mystery. That is true of its technology development and the operation of its semi-regular air service. Nonetheless Merlin Labs' operation adds a real interesting chapter in the development of regional air services in Aotearoa New Zealand. One wonders what will develop from its operation locally and on the world stage.

Palmy last Saturday

I was in Palmerston North last week and was amazed at how many ATR flights it gets... up to 10 per day to Auckland and 5 to Christchurch... Similarly Napier gets up to 11 per day to Auckland, 5 to Wellington and 4 to Christchurch.

One wonders if there is a case building for some regional jets and if so what, Airbus 220, Embraer 195???

ATR 72-600 ZK_MZE on the departure from Palmerston North on 30 September 2023

Massey Aviation's Diamond DA40 Star ZK-MTJ at Palmerston North on 30 September 2023

My ride to Christchurch, ATR 72-600 ZK-MVH arriving on the gate at Palmerston North on 30 September 2023

 

Closer to Service

Out for a fly late this afternoon was Airwork's Boeing 737-4Q8(SF). The 737 arrived into Auckland for Airwork on 9 April 2023 as Boeing VQ-BMF. Previously on the New Zealand register from the 20th of January 2012 it was registered to Airwork Flight Operations Limited as ZK-TLF and it was operated in Australia for Toll Priority. The aircraft was exported and the New Zealand registration was cancelled on the 10th of March 2015 being placed on the Romanian register as YR-UEZ. Later in the year, in August 2015, it was registered to ASL Airlines France. It was withdrawn from use and placed on the Bermuda register as VQ-BMF stored at Sofia (Bulgaria) from 13 July 2022 to the 6th of April 2023. It was subsequently placed back on the New Zealand register as ZK-TLF on the 9th of May 2023.

Arriving into Auckland on 9 April 2023 in a sludgy white colour scheme as Boeing 737-400 VQ-BMF. 

UPDATED 7 OCTOBER 2023

ZK-TLF departed this morning for Townsville as AIRWORK 93 presumably for repainting