Check out this great clip of the big day... https://mail.google.com/mail/ca/u/0/#inbox/1513340d848c65a3?projector=1
And here was the day's programme...
9.30am to 10.00am
10.30am to 11.00am
11.30am to 12.00 noon
This blog started off by focussing on NZ's smaller 3rd level airlines, past and present. It has evolved to trying to present some record of NZ's domestic airline operations and some of the larger charter operators, interesting NZ international airliner movements and photos I have taken around the country. Comments, corrections or contributions are welcome, Steve - westland831@gmail.com
Photos Supplied |
Happier days... Above, Fokker Friendship ZK-NAN while with Air New Zealand at Oamaru on 20 March 1989 and below at Oamaru again with NZ Post on 1 October 1995. |
Piper Navajo ZK-JGA outside Sunair's hangar at Tauranga on 24 January 2016 |
Warbird's Douglas DC-3 Dakota ZK-DAK taxis to the pumps at Hokitika on 11 January 2008 |
Piper PA28 Saratoga with Capital Air titles at Wellington on 16 April 2009 |
The Piper PA34 Seneca on approach to Wellington on 27 October 2014 |
Piper PA31 Chieftain ZK-VIP arriving at North Shore from Great Barrier. |
Following not far behind was Partenavia P68 ZK-PLA |
Meanwhile, over at Auckland International, Cessna Grand Caravan ZK-SDB was departing for Great Barrier Island... |
while Barrier Air's newest Piper PA31 Chieftain ZK-FOP was heading north to Kaitaia. |
Craig Emeny's original Cessna 180 ZK-EYH at the strip at Owenga.
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Repainted and titled - Cessna 337F ZK-TAI on a visit to Christchurch on 4 May 1986 |
Air Chathams' second Cessna 337, ZK-TSH, at Christchurch on 22 March 1987 |
No sign of the Beech Queen Air's American registration, but marked as the purists like it, with a "ZK-", ZK-CIA at Nelson on 5 October 1991.
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Cessna 337 ZK-TAI looking rather sad on the 18th of October 1987 |
Cessna 206 ZK-DOA on Pitt Island in April 1996. |
Preparing for a flight to Pitt with empty plastic tubs for fish on the return flight.. |
A mix of passenger(s), freight and empty fish containers taxiing for the flight to Pitt.. |
The heavy load of fish has arrived back from Pitt ready to be transhipped to the waiting Convair |
Sadly languishing... Beech Queen Air ZK-CIA at Bridge Pa on 30 November 2013 |
Heavy in the tail... Metroliner ZK-CIC fuelled and loaded starts at Christchurch for the long haul to the Chathams on 11 November 1996. |
Air Chatham's flagship, Convair 580 ZK-CIB at Chatham on 20 April 2014 |
ZK-CIB's front office |
The Chatham Islander, 11 August 1998 |
Metroliner 23 ZK-JSJ at Christchurch on 23 June 2001. |
ZK-KAI on Chatham in June 2001... |
...and on Pitt Island on 20 April 2014 |
The facilities at Pitt Island's Waipaua airstrip |
The all passenger Convair ZK-KSA about to line up on Wellington's Runway 16 on its flight to the Chathams on the 30th of March 2005. |
Convair 580 ZK-CID at Auckland while still in use... |
...sadly languishing at Palmerston North on 30 September 2007... |
and at the start of its final journey to the scrapyard on 14 January 2014 |
Convair 580 ZK-CIE was originally painted in Air Chathams' colours but didn't carry titles. It is seen here on the taxi at Christchurch for its flight to the Chathams on 29 August 2006. |
A couple of shots of Convair 580 ZK-CIF at Auckland - above on 24 November 2005 and below a stunning sunset shot on 29 November 2005. |
ZK-CIF was repainted in an all-white scheme as seen here at Auckland on 29 June 2008 soon after Chathams Pacific started operations |
Back operating for Air Chathams but still in Origin colours, ZK-CIC, on finals for runway 02 at Christchurch on 7 December 2007. |
ZK-CIF was the only Convair to wear Chathams Pacific titles. It is seen here at Auckland on 2 March 2012 |
Still with Origin Pacific colours but Chathams Pacific titles ZK-CIC arrives back into Tongatapu's Fua'amotu International Airport on 6 January 2011 |
Convair 580 at Manapouri on a Tauck Tour on the 9th of May 2012 |
The Tauck Tour of New Zealand... red is road transport |
BN Islander ZK-LYP in the hangar at Chatham on 20 April 2014... The titles are in a terrible place! Below a better shot of ZK-LYP at Auckland on 23 September 2014 |
The revised logo introduced in 2014 |
A rather bland looking Metroliner ZK-CIC looking for work at Auckland on 25 March 2014 |
Convair 580 ZK-CIE arriving at Whakatāne from Auckland on 6 November 2015 |
Fairchild Metroliner ZK-CIC, the Whakatāne plane, taxis to the terminal at Whakatāne on 28 December 2015 |
Whakatāne Schedule, Effective 28 October 2015 |
Craig Emeny in the right hand seat of Air Chathams' DC-3 |
The winter schedule - The Chatham Islander, September 2015 |
The summer schedule - The Chatham Islander, November 2015 |
Aero Commander 690 ZK-PVB on the Chathams on 14 May 2016. |
Fairchild Metroliner ZK-CID at Auckland on 1 August 2016 |
Saab 340 ZK-KRA on final approach to Auckland on 1 August 2016, the first day of the Whanganui-Auckland service |
All repainted, Air Chathams' Convair 580 ZK-CIF at Auckland on 19 May 2016 (above) and Convair 580 ZK-CIE at Wellington on 28 October 2016 (below) |
Delivering its first load of fish to Wellington, Convair ZK-KFL on 1 December 2016. It is seen below at Auckland on 3 September 2017. |
Convair 580 ZK-KFH at Auckland on 10 September 2017. Below, the two pure freighters at Auckland on 10 September 2017. |
Douglas DC-3 ZK-AWP on the taxi at Auckland on 28 January 2017 |
Air Chathams' Fairchild Metro 23 about to depart Auckland for Whakatāne on 6 August 2018 |
Saab 340B ZK-CIZ on the taxi at Auckland for Whanganui on 6 August 2018 |
Air Chathams' Kapiti Coast Timetable, effective August 2018 |
Repainted and with new script, Air Chathams' Convair 580 ZK-CIB departs Wellington for the Chatham Islands on 26 July 2017. |
Air Chathams' first time on the international departure board, Auckland Airport, 19 May 2018 |
ATR 72-500 ZK-MCO at Auckland on 20 February 2020 |
Tauck Tours' 2019 Itinerary |
Air Chathams' first scheduled international service. Convair 580 ZK-CIB on Norfolk Island on 6 September 2019. Don Colway photo
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The first international flight on the Auckland Airport website departures board, 6 September 2019 |
Air Chathams' Convair 580 ZK-CIE at Norfolk Island on 24 January 2020 |
Saab 340 ZK-KRA at Whakatāne on the inaugural flight on 29 November 2019 |
ZK-MCO on the gate at Auckland for final boarding of the first ATR flight to the Chathams on 15 October 2020 |
ZK-CIB on her final day of scheduled passenger operations at Wellington on 23 July 2021. Photos : Wellington International Airport |
With an outbreak of the Delta variant of Covid in Australia trans-Tasman quarantine-free travel was paused from the 24th of July 2021 leading to the suspension of the Norfolk Island service and thwarting Air Chathams' plans for a second weekly flight. The airline operated a repatriation flight on the 29th of July 2021 for residents to return home.
Convair 580 ZK-CIB operated its final passenger operations in August 2021 when it operated an Auckland-Wellington-Chathams and return charter flight flying outbound on the 13th and returning on the 15th of August 2021.
Convair 580 ZK-CIB departs Christchurch for the last time on 12 September 2021 |
Air Chathams' first ATR 72-500 ZK-MCO operating 3C 591 to the Chatham Islands at Auckland on 16 June 2022 |
Air Chathams' first Convair 580, ZK-CIB, took to the air for the final time on the 21st of May 2022 flying from Auckland to its new home at the National Toy and Transport Museum in Wānaka.
Air Chathams' Convair 580 ZK-CIB taxis away from the Air Chathams' ramp for the last time on 21 May 2022. Photo : Alex Parker |
Air Chathams' Saab 340 ZK-CIZ on Norfolk Island on 1 September 2022. Photo : Bunt Pine Travel |
Air Chathams' second ATR 72-500, ZK-MCU, at Auckland on 22 December 2022 |
On the 5th of December 2022 Air Chathams started twice weekly flights from Auckland to Norfolk Island. The airline had previously moved to twice weekly flights just before the last lockdown in 2021. The Norfolk Island flights continue to be generally operated by Saab 340s but the ATRs are also used at times.
Air Chathams' third "new" Saab VH-EKD at Auckland on 5 July 2023 |
In an email to 3rd Level New Zealand Air Chathams' Chief Operating Officer Duane Emeny wrote, Yes a sad day in many respects as our last scheduled Metroliner service. Albeit, I think you haven’t seen the last of the pencil on Air Chathams routes with increased demand for services leading up to Christmas and a need to cover Saabs in maintenance. ZK-CID is being kept very busy out on the Chathams flying seafood out and general goods in to the island.
Air Chathams announces the arrival of flight 3C 827 into Auckland from Whakatāne, the last scheduled Metroliner service in New Zealand operating by Fairchild Metro 23 ZK-POF |
On the afternoon of the 20th of November Air Chathams' Saab 340s took over the the scheduled flights between Whakatāne and Auckland. The new timetable brings some big changes to the Whakatāne schedule with the frequency dropping from 3 flights each weekday to 2. Also, 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. There are also no Saturday flights. The normal routine will see the Saab fly Kāpiti Coast to Auckland before doing a return Whakatāne service with a reverse schedule in the afternoon/early evening. The first flights were flown in Saab 340A ZK-CIY.
Air Chathams' Whakatāne schedule effective 20 November 2023 |
Air Chathams' ATR 72-500 ZK-MCO at Chatham Island on 9 January 2024 |
Air Chathams' Fairchild Metroliner, ZK-CID, at Chatham Island on 12 January 2024. Photo : R Deerness |
Air Chathams' scenic flight options from Tuuta airport |
Air Chathams' Cessna 206 ZK-KMH at Pitt Island on 9 January 2024. Photo : R Deerness |
Air Chathams' Fairchild Metroliner III, ZK-CID, the company's last Metroliner, departing Wellington on 1 February 2024 operating a freight service, 3C 221, to the Chatham Islands |
Convair 580 ZK-CIF about to depart Auckland for Gisborne on a charter on 30 December 2018 |