1950s Hokitika Action

 

NAC's Lockheed Lodestar ZK-AIQ at Hokitika in the three and a half month time period the type operated to Hokitika between 18 December 1951 and 31 March 1952

Some time later, NAC's Douglas DC-3 ZK-AOJ at Hokitika

Happy 80th ZK-AWP

On Tuesday, Air Chathams' ex-DC-3 ZK-AWP arrived in Darwin after being departing New Zealand on the 8th of February 2025 on export to Australia.

Douglas DC-3 ZK-AWP at Auckland on 3 February 2025

The DC-3 is was purchased to begin operations with Gooney Bird Adventures in Darwin, Northern Territory and is expected to be registered VH-X73 with operations to begin in July. They are advertising a Bombing of Darwin (DC-3) Sunset Adventure where passengers will experience Darwin’s famous sunset onboard a legendary DC-3 & follow the historic flight path of the 1942 Bombing of Darwin from $490 AUD per person.

Meanwhile ZK-AWP turns 80 today as per a post I did five years ago...

https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2020/04/douglas-dc-3-zk-awp-her-75-year-history.html

and a post on its last flying at Auckland...

https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2025/02/air-chathams-farewells-awp.html

End of Norfolk Island air service

 

Air Chathams' air service to Norfolk Island concluded today, the 24th of April 2025, with the final flights, 3C401 to Norfolk Island and the return flight 3C402 to Auckland being operated in ATR 72-500 ZK-MCU under the command of Captain David Keys and First Officer Jongho Kang with Ayla Booker and Sian Evans in the cabin.  

A big thanks to Leo De Chesne and Betty Mathews who captured the Air Chathams ATR 72 ZK-MCU operating the final flights in and out of Norfolk Island i=on 24 April 2025

A direct air service between Auckland and Norfolk Island has been flown reasonably consistently since the 1st of April 1947.

On the 1st of April 1947 the New Zealand National Airways Corporation (later known as NAC) began operating regional air services from Auckland to Tonga, Samoa and the Cook Islands via Norfolk Island service using Douglas DC-3s. At the same time Fiji was served using Sunderland flying boats. On the 14th of October 1952 NAC withdrew its Pacific services beyond Norfolk Island. The Norfolk Island DC-3 service continued until September 1955 when it too was terminated. 

For more on NAC's service to Norfolk Island see :

https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2021/08/norfolk-island-just-4-hours-away-by-nac.html

In November 1955 TEAL took over the Norfolk Island-Auckland service. The TEAL service was operated fortnightly using a chartered Qantas flight Douglas DC-4. The DC-4 operated the Norfolk service until the the 1st of June 1975. 

For photos of a QANTAS Douglas Dc-4 scheme at Norfolk Island see :

http://www.aussieairliners.org/dc-4/vh-anf/vhanf.html

On the 4th of June 1975 NAC returned to Norfolk Island operating a Fokker F27-500 series Friendship on the Auckland-Norfolk Island route under charter to Air New Zealand. 

After NAC's merger with Air New Zealand on the 1st of April 1978 Air New Zealand continued the Friendship service until Boeing 737s replaced the Fokker Friendships on the Auckland-Norfolk Island service on the 23rd of September 1984.

In 2008 Air New Zealand commenced Airbus 320 flights to Norfolk Island supplementing the Air New Zealand Boeing 737 flights. In March 2009, the Airbus 320 aircraft replaced the Boeings on all flights between Norfolk Island and Auckland.

In 2012 Air New Zealand won an Australian government tender to operate flights from Brisbane and Sydney to Norfolk Island with two flights per week from Sydney and one per week from Brisbane. These flights began on the 2nd of March 2012 using Airbus 320s. In 2016 Air New Zealand's General Manager Networks Richard Thomson announced that, "The Auckland-Norfolk Island route is not commercially sustainable so it makes sense to focus our operations out of Australia, where there’s good potential" and that the Auckland- Norfolk Island service would end in May 2017. 

For a photo an Air New Zealand Airbus 320 at Norfolk Island see

http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/001015280.html

Norfolk Island Airlines was the successor to this service. Using a Boeing 737 leased from Air Nauru it began a weekly service on the 17th of June 2017. The first flights from Brisbane to Norfolk Island and Auckland (NAURU 345) and from Auckland to Norfolk Island and Brisbane (NAURU 346) were operated by Boeing 737-319 VH-XNU. Due to increasing compliance costs Norfolk Island Airlines pulled out to the Norfolk Island-Auckland route on the 13th of  January 2018 with the last flights being flown by Boeing 737-36N VH-PNI. The airline ceased operating totally on the 17th of March 2018. 

Seeing an opportunity Air Chathams sent a management team to visit Norfolk Island on 26-28 March and meet with relevant industry stakeholders. This was a due diligence exercise to decide if the airline could provide a service from Auckland to Norfolk Island. The team used Rockwell Commander 690A ZK-PVB for the visit. 

A couple of months later, on the 19th of May 2018, Air Chathams' Convair 580 ZK-CIE flew a charter to Norfolk Island as CHATHAMS 581 for the 25th Norfolk Island Country Music Festival. a music festival. This was Air Chathams' first international air service. The return flight, CHATHAMS 581, operated on the 26th of May. 

Convair 580 ZK-CIE on arrival at Norfolk Island on 19 May 2018

In October 2018 Air Chathams returned to Norfolk Island. On both the 2nd and the 3rd Convair 580 freighter ZK-KFL operated freight flights to Norfolk Island as CHATHAMS 580 and the return flight CHATHAMS 581.

This was followed by a series of passenger charter flights between Auckland and Norfolk Island. The first was operated on the 25th of October 2018 with Convair 580 ZK-CIE operating as CHATHAMS 401 to Norfolk and CHATHAMS 402 on the return. The charter flights were arranged by Pukekohe Travel, which had for a number of years offered tours to the Chatham Islands in conjunction with Air Chathams. A total of five such charter flights were made.

These charter flights led the way to Air Chathams' flying into Norfolk Island from the 6th of September 2019. The new route was initally served by Air Chathams' Convair 580 aircraft. The first flight was flown under the command of founder and owner Craig Emeny and his son, Duane Emeny, in Convair ZK-CIB. The weekly service was operated on Fridays with the flights scheduled to take 2 hours 20 minutes. The flight to Norfolk Island, 3C 401, departed Auckland at 9am and arrived at 10.20am Norfolk Island time. The return flight, 3C 402, left Norfolk Island at 11.20am and arrived back into Auckland at 2.40pm. 

Air Chathams' first scheduled international service. Convair 580 ZK-CIB on Norfolk Island on 6 September 2019. Don Colway photo

Father and son... Craig and Duane Emeny on Norfolk - Air Chathams photo

An Auckland Airport press statement Duane Emeny saying, “We are really excited to re-establish the direct link between Auckland and Norfolk Island and we are really encouraged by the early interest we’ve had from passengers, with forward bookings indicating it’s going to be another successful route for our family airline.”

Air Chathams' Convair 580 ZK-CIE arriving on 24 January 2020

Covid played havoc with Air Chathams' Norfolk Island service with the flights suspended on the 20th of March 2020 with Convair 580 ZK-CIE flying these services. 

A repatriation flight between Auckland and Norfolk Island was operated with Fairchild Metroliner ZK-CID on the 31st of January 2021.

With the the announcement of the opening of the trans-Tasman bubble on the 15th of April 2021 Air Chathams announced they would resumed flights to and from Norfolk Island from  the 27th of May 27 using Saab 340 aircraft.

Unfortunately, the airline had to delay the recommencement of flights to Norfolk Island the day before due to delays in legislative process in New Zealand because Air Chathams being had not been added to the Air Border Order as an approved Quarantine Free Travel airline. Flights resumed on the 10th of June 2021 with ATR 72-500 ZK-MCO being used under the command of Matt Emeny and Paul Cattermole alongside Nikki and Alana looking after the cabin. This was the first ATR-scheduled service to Norfolk Island. 

A week later, on the 17th of June 2021, Air Chathams introduced Saab 340s to the Norfolk Island service with ZK-CIZ operating the Auckland to Norfolk Island flight, 3C 401 and return 3C 402. The resumption of services was short-lived and these were suspended on the 17th of August 2021 due to Auckland being placed back in lockdown.

The Norfolk Island service was not to resume until the 1st of September 2022 with Saab 340 ZK-CIZ operating the service.

From the 5th of December 2022 Air Chathams' increased the frequency of the Norfolk Island flights to twice weekly, the flights operating on Mondays and Thursdays. The Norfolk Island flights at that time were generally operated by Saab 340s.

Air Chathams Saab 340 ZK-CIZ at Norfolk Island on 1 September 2022. Photo : Burnt Pine Travel Facebook Page

The next change to Air Chathams' Norfolk Island services came on the 7th of September 2023 when the airline replaced the Saab 340s with their ATR 72-500s. ZK-MCU operated the first ATR flights 3C 401 to Norfolk Island and the return flight 3C 402. 

Soon after, however, in November 2023, Air Chathams announced it was cutting back its Norfolk Island service to operate on a seasonal basis. Norfolk Island tour operator Pinetree Tours posted on on their Facebook page...

Air Chathams is proud to commit the flagship ATR72-500 aircraft to its Norfolk Island air service providing greater capacity for freight, charters, and tourism offerings. Upon reviewing the demand for the Norfolk Island air service, for both New Zealand and Norfolk Island communities - we will be aligning our scheduled flight service to a seasonal calendar. This means all scheduled flights to Norfolk Island from May to August 2024 will be withdrawn. Charter flights will still be available on request over this period, although enquiries will have to confirm which aircraft they require. The normal weekly Norfolk Island scheduled flights will return from 5th of September 2024. We appreciate our customer’s continued support across the Norfolk Island route, as well as all the destinations Air Chathams connect and serve.

Weekly flights recommenced on the 29th of August 2024. 

Air Chathams ATR 72 ZK-MCO at Norfolk Island. Photo Burnt Pine Travel Facebook page

In January 2025 Air Chathams announced that the scheduled Norfolk Island seasonal service between Auckland and Norfolk Island would end in April 2025 and in future only operate on a charter basis.

Air Chathams' Chief commercial officer Duane Emeny told Stuff the decision was “unfortunate”. “Due to escalating costs to operate this international flight into Norfolk International Airport and a reduction in route support subsidies provided by Norfolk Island Regional Council, we have decided that our ATR aircraft asset is best utilised on other parts of our New Zealand scheduled and charter network. “We will work with long standing tour operators on charter flights to Norfolk that align with key events on Norfolk Island that tend to experience good demand from Kiwi tourists and organised groups ie bowls clubs etc. However, the weekly schedule services will cease from April 2025.” He acknowledged the “huge support” the airline had received from the Norfolk Island community since scheduled services started in September 2019.

Today's final flights mark the end of the latest chapter in flights between New Zealand and Norfolk Island. As we turn the page on this chapter one wonders what the next page may bring.

In between the wild weather

After a wild and windy night the weather was okay in the morning of 19 April 20205 at Auckland for a little plane spotting

Solomon Airlines' Airbus 320 H4-SIB departing for Port Vila on 21 April 2025

Airwork's Boeing 737-400 ZK-JTQ on the tow back to the maintenance base

Life Flight's Beech Beech Super King Air arriving with another patient

Air New Zealand Boeing 787-9 ZK-NZF departing for Hong Kong

Air New Zealand Boeing 787-9 ZK-NZJ Arriving from Taipei

Air New Zealand Boeing 777-300 ZK-OKM departing for Brisbane

Air New Zealand Boeing 777-300 ZK-OKQ departing for Singapore

Air New Zealand Boeing 777-300 ZK-OKS departing for Singapore

Air New Zealand Boeing 777-300 ZK-OKV departing for Tokyo

Air New Zealand Boeing 777-300 ZK-OKW departing for Melbourne

The Taranaki Air Ambulance Trust Beech King Air ZK-ZZA operated by Skyline Aviation

 

90 years ago... East Coast Airways began

Something I missed, the 15th of April 2025 marked 90 years since the launch of East Coast Airways' service between Gisborne and Napier operated by two de Havilland Dragons  

My profile on East Coast Airways can be found here : https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2019/07/flying-dragons-east-coast-airways.html

I have pretty much finished working on a post on NAC's air services to Gisborne but I would like some photos of NAC aircraft at Gisborne to illustrate it. Would anyone happen to have any I could use???

My email address is westland831@gmail.com... Thanks in anticipation, Steve 

 

As a new Freighter Flies another Dies

 

Being broken up yesterday was Airwork's Boeing 737-400 freighter ZK-TLJ (c/n 24432).

Dave Paull recorded its history in Aviation News in December 2015... The latest addition is  B737-476 in dedicated freight mode for Airwork Flight Operations for its Toll contract. This airframe was rolled out at Renton on 11 May 1990 and, after being VH-TJG with Australian Airlines and leased to Malaysian Airlines Systems as 9M-MLE, it returned to Australian Airlines on 27 November 1991. That became part of Qantas and the aircraft was used by it until being withdrawn on 26 November 2012 and ferried to Victorville, Southern California, for storage. This is one of several airframes plucked out  of storage for freighter conversion and was soon registered as N232AG in the books of the Bank of Utah Trustees. It was ferried from Dothan, Alabama, to Oakland, to John Rogers Field in Hawaii, to Majuro and into Cairns on 12 October 2015 in full Toll livery to become ZK-TLJ on 15 October 2015.

ZK-TLJ flew its last flights for Airwork on the 22nd of June 2024, flying Christchurch-Sydney as AIRWORK 9 and Sydney-Auckland as AIRWORK 2.

At Norfolk Island on 17 January 2020 was Toll Boeing 737-400  ZK-TLJ.

Airwork's Boeing 737-400 ZK-TLJ at Auckland on 2 October 2020

Engineless and looking to be for the chop, Airwork Boeing 737-400 ZK-TLJ at Auckland on 21 October 2024

A big thanks to Magnaman who sent in this photo of Boeing 737-400 ZK-TLJ being broken up at Auckland on 18 April 2025. Note the Airwork hangar has also gone!

Texel's TXF Enters Service

Entering service with Texel Air today, 19 April 2025, was their latest Boeing 737-800 freighter. Boeing 737-86N(BCF) ZK-TXF flew to Christchurch this morning as TEXEL 6101 and will return to Auckland later this afternoon as TEXEL 6102.

The Boeing 737-8U3 entered life as a leased airliner in 2010 being registered to the Indonesian international carrier Garuda Indonesia as PK-GFE on the 20th of August 2010. After being withdrawn from use on the 27th of April 2021, it was recorded being placed on the Isle of Man register as M-ABOL in June 2021 and placed in storage at Tainan in Taiwan. In October 2021 it went to Jinan in China for conversion to a freighter aircraft. Following its conversion it was flown to Kuala Lumpur,  Malaysia using Guernsey-registered ferry registration 2-BPDA and was registered to World Cargo Airlines of Malaysia as 9M-WCI on 26 July 2022. 

Placed again in storage in November 2024 it flew on 28 February 2025 from Jakarta to Denpasar and then on to Auckland arriving on 1 March 2025 using its Guernsey-registered ferry registration 2-BPDA. After clearing customs and refuelling it continued to Hamilton for preparation for service. 

Texel Air's Boeing 737-800 freighter ZK-TXF departing for Christchurch on its first revenue service on 19 April 2025.

 

TXF ready for service

Flying into Auckland tonight was Texel Air's latest Boeing 737-800 freighter, ZK-TXF as TEXEL 98.

The freighter arrived into Auckland on 1 March 2025 as 2-BPDA before heading to Hamilton for preparation for service. 

Texel Air's latest addition, Boeing 737-800F, 2-BPDA, departing Auckland for Hamilton on 1 March 2025 

Chatham Islands Air War - Round 3

 

It looks like another air war is looming in the Chatham Islands...  While there have been numerous competitors looking to fly to the Chathams over the years they have not really landed many punches. This latest round is certainly going to be big.

Round 1, which was more a sparring round was between Safe Air and lightweight Air Chathams starting with a Cessna 337 and providing the first competition to Safe Air on the Chatham Islands run.

For more see : https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2016/01/air-chathams-30-years-on.html

Round 2 was when it got bloody with Air Chathams and Mount Cook Airlines slogging it out.

For more see : https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2014/05/mount-cook-airline-and-its-air-war-with.html

Now it looks to become brutal with Texel Air weighing in for what could well be a knockout round.

This morning Newsroom posted a really interesting article...  The full article can be found here.. https://newsroom.co.nz/2025/04/17/nz-first-donor-launches-airline-war-on-chatham-islands... A few key points follow...

Visiting government and business leaders, disembarking an Air Force Hercules, were met this week (16 October 2025) by the unexpected sight of a big fresh-painted Boeing 737 freighter unloading at Chatham Island’s tiny airport... It flew in food and supplies for this week’s regional development summit on the island, 800km off the east coast off New Zealand, and minister Shane Jones invited Texel’s directors to take part alongside public sector chief executives and infrastructure bosses.

Texel has had a difficult arrival in the remote island community. After initially holding talks last year to partner with Air Chathams, Texel has instead suddenly moved onto the local airline’s patch as a competitor, sparking terse exchanges and claims. This month it’s brought in containers and forklifts to support a planned fortnightly freight service to and from the island. Chisholm says his company brought the 21-tonne capacity Boeing over to support Jones’ regional infrastructure summit. It was largely empty, carrying only some food and beverages for the estimated 150 summit attendees, as well as a couple of pallets of chilly bins for local fishers. Chisholm plans a fortnightly service, bringing in supplies in bulk to help mitigate islanders’ soaring cost of living, and taking out the Chathams’ seafood to markets around the world.

Air Chathams has been upgrading its fleet and hopes to soon will add a 737 that can land on Tuuta Airport’s extended runway. The company is well-loved, locally. It was founded by the Emeny family, who are seventh-generation islanders. It has eight planes – two 68-seat ATR-72s, five smaller Saab-340s, and a little island-hopping Cessna.

Chisholm acknowledged talk that Air Chathams’ was sending a deliberate message about the small airport’s capacity to handle two airlines: “I’m not really getting into that. We’re just here to do our job... We’ve got a mission, and we want to bring the aircraft here on a regular basis. And, as I said, grow the business for the island, and make change and help the island grow.”

Air Chathams chief operating officer Duane Emeny, whose parents founded the company, says there’s not enough room for two operators on an island with fewer than 700 people. If the island’s export economy grows, Air Chathams will expand its fleet... 

“Obviously, Texel have their own plans and ambitions within New Zealand, and for some reason, they’ve identified an opportunity with the Chatham Islands. That’s their right. If they think there’s a market there and they can do something about it, then they’re able to do that. He was disappointed that talks with Texel had fallen over; Air Chathams had ended plans to partner with another company, Airwork Group, in order to partner Texel. We’ve been on the Chathams for 40 years. We’re part of the island. We obviously put the map very proudly on our tail. As you know, I’m a seventh-generation Chatham Islander. That means a lot to us, and me personally. There’s really good loyalty on the island, and people are choosing not to take up the offers that have been put there by Texel. They’re choosing to stay local with us, which is really nice. And so that further motivates us to keep doing the right thing by the community.”

My profile on Texel Air can be found here : https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2023/06/texel-air-our-new-air-freight-operator.html

Histories of previous air services to the Chathams can be found here :

https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2012/05/chatham-islands-index-of-posts.html