It
was a genuine case of up, up and away yesterday for a group of Wairarapa VIPs
given the opportunity to take a maiden flight over the valley in a Saab 340. The
Vincent Aviation-owned aircraft touched down at Hood Aerodrome for a
getting-to-know-you morning tea and the flight. Masterton businessmen Colin
Oldfield and David Borman are heading a proposal to re-establish a passenger
air service from Hood, with Vincent Aviation the preferred airline, and are
completing a business plan to prove its viability. The 34-seater Saab would be
used not only as an Auckland-Masterton service - which was the focus of the now
defunct Eagle Air service - but as a charter service. Mr Borman said since the
Times-Age first wrote about the likely new service he and Mr Oldfield had been
inundated with messages of support. "I have had over 180 emails from
business people wanting to use it regularly and from rugby clubs, bowling clubs
and others who would charter the aircraft," he said. Attractions such as a
flower show in New Plymouth were only "15 minutes away" from Hood and
the aircraft would be ideal for ferrying groups to events such as an All Blacks
rugby test in Dunedin, Mr Borman said. Though the business plan was still being
constructed, it was hoped that the first paid flight from Hood could lift off
in six to eight weeks. At a function at the aerodrome before the VIP flight,
former Masterton mayor Bob Francis, who has supported the initiative, said the
Vincent Aviation proposal looked to be the best opportunity to re-establish a
service from Hood. Vincent Aviation managing director Pat Vincent spoke of the
qualities of the Saab 340 aircraft, which the company flew from a number of
Australian bases, namely Darwin, Brisbane and Sydney, as well as its New
Zealand operations. "It is not a Boeing 747 but it is a very comfortable
aircraft with three-abreast seating, plenty of leg room and the seats
recline," he said. The aircraft to be utilised in Wairarapa would be
painted in Wairarapa colours and had many years of service ahead of it. Mr Vincent
said a Saab 340 had a lifetime of about 80,000 landings. "Your craft is
only a quarter way through its life, so with the traffic loading in and out of
Hood it is probably good for another 60 years," he said.
The 340 is a far better aircraft for this route than the metro, providing they can fill the seats.
ReplyDeleteMetro is very good on fuel usage but can be mechanically unreliable, plus the Metro isn't very comfortable for passengers with such a small cabin.
The DC-3 might be fun to pop in on a sunny day, but AvGas is very expensive, especially in R-1830 quantities.
If the route is to stand on it's own two feet then I wish them all the luck in the world. Vincent Aviation however are not a charity and fairly astute at doing business so I do hope the council hasn't agreed to underwrite anything otherwise if I were a ratepayer, I'd be rather unimpressed.
ReplyDeleteGood Luck to Vincent if it goes ahead. I do wonder how a town the size of Masterton can support a Saab 340 sized aircraft. I will be watching with interest. If the people of Masterton and Vincent Aviation can pull this off, and do well out of it, this will mean great things for regional services in NZ. Watch out Air New Zealand!!
ReplyDeleteI agree. But that's a pretty big if.....
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