Eagle Air to Rotorua...

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Can anyone tell me when Eagle Air started operating Auckland-Rotorua??? - It may have been from 1 November 1993 when Kerikeri came on to the Eagle network but I am not sure. I have got a gap of some years in my Air NZ timetables so if anyone has some old timetables from this period they may be able to help

I would also like to know when Mount Cook stopped operating Auckland-Rotorua.

Any help would be appreciated

Many thanks

Steve - westland831@gmail.com

First the MA60 - Now the MA600 - Big Plans for Little Airline

Samoa Air, famous for its "pay by weight" fares, is looking to stretch its wings internationally. The airline began operations in June last year with domestic flights between Upolu and Savai’i islands. On the 8th of May 2013 it commenced flights from Fagali'i airfield (close to Apia) to Pago Pago in American Samoa. Samoa Air has now applied to operate from Samoa to the Cook Islands, Tonga and to Wallis Island in French Polynesia. Part of these plans include being involved in the certification of the Chinese MA600 which is the advanced version of the M60 which is currently creating a storm of controversy in Tonga

The Samoa Observer also reports that Samoa Air has also recently announced it intends to move into international jet operations commencing with flights to and from Brisbane and Auckland in June 2014. This is to be followed by Nadi and Honolulu in August when the current agreement concludes with Fiji Air says CEO of Samoa Air Chris Langton. “We are also looking seriously at a connection from Melbourne in Australia to Los Angeles via Faleolo to start in September 2014. “If this operation goes well then the next major connection would be from China, probably Shanghai, to Auckland via Faleolo. Aircraft would be combinations of Airbus A320 and A319 aircraft for the shorter hauls and Airbus A330-200 for the longer sectors to Los Angeles and to Shanghai.

 

For the full articles see :

 

http://www.samoaobserver.ws/local-news/business/6365-big-plans-at-samoa-air

and

http://www.talamua.com/samoa-air-seeks-shareholders-for-expansion-plans/

Extra Summer International Flights

Singapore Airlines will add two flights a week to Christchurch from December 9 to January 16 to cater for demand for travel to the South Island over the peak summer holiday period using recently retrofitted Boeing 777-200s. Christchurch is also to receive a twice-weekly direct service to Perth twice December 4 to April 26 next year. This service will be operated by Air New Zealand using Boeing 767-300s.

 

 

 

 

And speaking of Perth, Qantas have announced that they will operate a twice-weekly service between Auckland and Perth from December 6 to February 1 next year using Airbus 330s. This is the first time the Australian airline has flown the route directly.

Real Tonga's MA60 - What is the Real Story?

The Real Tonga MA60 debacle continues to boil away. Below is an extract from an interview with Tonga's Deputy Prime Minister which appeared in Islands Business.

New Zealand recently punished Tonga by withdrawing its multimillion dollar tourism aid, following the island kingdom’s acceptance of a gift from China in the form of a Chinese manufactured Xian MA60 aircraft. In an interview with ISLANDS BUSINESS in Fiji last month, Tonga’s deputy prime minister Samiu Vaipulu lashed out strongly at New Zealand, reminding it not to put its nose into local affairs. “We may go to China or we have some reserve funds but we must find a way to do it,” Vaipulu said when asked what the options are for Tonga, following New Zealand’s decision. “We just don’t want anyone to interfere with our internal matters. They should not. And they have done that for years. And that’s what Fiji did (resist interference) and we should do the same thing. “What we don’t want is New Zealand telling us what to do and interfering with our internal matters when they know very well there was a New Zealand company that left on its own without Tonga chasing them.

New Zealand’s foreign minister Murray McCully “should go to China and talk with the Chinese. What we’ve seen with this aircraft is it’s safe and reliable. In fact, I am in negotiations with China for two more aircrafts. They are from another Chinese company but the same type of aircraft that was used by Air Fiji. “The whole idea of getting this aircraft was so that there can be competition to benefit our people because that is what we want to do. Develop our people and our private sector. But they (Chathams Pacific) say the market is too small and I said no, it’s the equipment that you use. Their aircraft is aged which uses a lot of fuel and that would affect the operation. Now when we have a new aircraft, they say it’s not safe,” Vaipulu said.

 

The full article can be found at http://www.islandsbusiness.com/2013/8/business-intelligence/stop-interfering-tonga-tells-nz/

 

So did the NZ Government act correctly? Undoubtedly there have been a number of MA60 crashes. However, as has been pointed out in a number of comments in recent posts on this blog the real problem is the not the aircraft itself but the operation of the aircraft. This is a fair comment but I still have the lingering question as to why the aircraft hasn't received US or UK certification... what are the issues that preclude this? What the evolving news stories and comments have revealed are two other more pressing questions... whether the aircraft is really suited for Tonga, especially the short runway at Ha'apai and for that matter for operations into Vava'u. The other question raised in the comments is the standard of the flight crews.

 

Mr Vaipulu said of the Chathams Pacific operation that "the market is too small and I said no, it’s the equipment that you use. Their aircraft is aged which uses a lot of fuel and that would affect the operation. Now when we have a new aircraft, they say it’s not safe.” However, a two airline system has to date not worked in Tonga, especially given the seasonal nature of the tourist traffic. Chathams Pacific's Craig Emeny talked of subsidising the Tongan air service during the off-season. A positional paper on Domestic Air Services in Tonga that was on the www.tonganz.net site earlier this year indicated that while the Convair was and would make a moderate return on investment the MA60 would make a loss!

 

I think the NZ Government might be right to be suspicious of the MA60 operation but I think its reasoning as to what is wrong with the MA60 might be flawed. Maybe the aircraft itself is not the issue! That this is developing into a political matter loses sight of the key questions which I think are...

 

Is the MA60 really a suitable aircraft for the Tongan air service? In other words can it operate safely and economically into the Tongan airfields?

 

Is the provision of flight crew up to an acceptable standard? This certainly seems to be a key issue not only for the MA60 crashes but also a number of Boeing 737 crashes as listed in the comments of earlier posts. Questions have been raised on this in the comments of these two posts... http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/tongas-ma60-airborne.html and http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/tongas-ma60-airborne.html 

So what is the real story? I'll leave you to be the judge

 

 

Three Pics While on an Airport Pickup

I had only ten minutes at Auckland International today (14 August) but I was delighted with the three photos I got...

Operating Air Vanuatu's flight from Port Vila was Airwork NZ's Boeing 737-300 ZK-SLA.

Reims/Cessna 406 Caravan II ZK-XLF arrived from the south before departing shortly after for Lord Howe Island... The air2there logo on the nose has been removed... see http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2012/04/paraparaumu-airliners.html

And at last a decent picture of Air New Zealand Airbus 320 ZK-OJQ in the new interim black and white colour scheme.

 

 

Blue Skies at Auckland

Yesterday (13 August) the sun was out making for some good spotting at Auckland International...

Newly painted in the new Fiji Airways' colour scheme is Boeing 737-800...

while looking in need of a repaint is Air New Zealand's Boeing767-300 ZK-NCL

Also recently repainted in the interim black and white scheme is Air New Zealand's Airbus 320 ZK-OJS

I also caught up with the two sharklet Airbus 320s, ZK-OXA (above) and ZK-OXB (below)

 

Just another Jetstar??? Not this time - this was the first time I have photographed Airbus 320 VH-VFJ

Whangarei Q300 Flights

 

 

 

Yesterday Air Nelson  commenced Bombardier Q-300 flights between Auckland and Whangarei with the arrival of flight NZ8252 into Whangarei at 9.11 a.m. The arrival of the first flight was recorded by the Northern Advocate... 

 

The terminal was crowded and the sky ominous when the first Q300 landed at Whangarei Airport. The 50-seater passenger aircraft has just begun flights to the airport, in a move that will put 48 extra seats in the air and reduce the risk of passengers being bumped off flights if it rains. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) flight restrictions that came into effect on June 1 see passengers kicked off flights to Whangarei in wet weather so that planes can land on the runway. Eagle Air regional airways general manger Sarah Williamson said the company - an arm of Air NZ - had six flights in and six out of Whangarei daily, and from yesterday the four middle Beech 1600 flights would be replaced by two 50-seat Bombardier Q300 aircraft. Ms Williamson said the Q300s were not affected by the CAA wet weather restrictions and, while there would be two fewer flights a day, there would be an extra 48 seats a day available each way. Ms Williamson said the CAA restrictions brought forward the decision to bring the Q300s to Whangarei. "We are seeing growth in Whangarei and we want to support that growth, and the CAA restrictions meant making the changes a bit sooner than planned. But we wouldn't have done it if there wasn't growth in the region." For Alexandra Batten of Tauranga, the flight yesterday morning was her first into Whangarei. She flew in on business and will be back. "It was a really good flight, really comfortable," she said. If she had been delayed or bumped off the flight due to rain it would have caused her great inconvenience. Whangarei local Brooke Gibson flew in after a weekend in Sydney. While she said she did not normally fly the Whangarei-Auckland route, she was aware of the issues arising of passengers being bumped off flights due to weather. "It was a really good flight, and I am thankful that it was on time and reliable as I am picking up my baby from daycare," she said. Gavin Roberts, director of Whangarei Bus Services, says his company has also started a new service, WBS Airport Shuttle, since the introduction of the new plane. It provides a bus service from town to the airport and back. Of the new air travel service, he said: "It's going to be better in terms of reliability with this winter weather."

 

Source : http://www.northernadvocate.co.nz/news/happy-landings-for-first-q300-flight/1981820/ 

Real Tonga's MA60 - the debate continues

Real Tonga's Chinese built MA60 entered service on Saturday... though not without some controversy. There has been some interesting points raised by Peter(?) in the comments section of these two posts... http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/tongas-ma60-airborne.html and http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/tongas-ma60-airborne.html 

 

The NZ travel advisory is going to make further problems for Real Tonga as is noted in the latest TravelMemo. Despite the advisory, as an aviation enthusiast, I for one would like to fly on the MA60 and a Y12 for that matter. While I wish Real Tonga all the best in the end my sympathy lies with Chathams Pacific... their operation was working really well. Why fix what's not broken? Only the Tongan government can answer that question

 

New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) have posted a warning travel advisory that reads: “Tonga’s domestic airline fleet currently includes an MA-60 aircraft. This aircraft has been involved in a significant number of accidents in the last few years. The MA-60 is not certified to fly in New Zealand or other comparable jurisdictions and would not be allowed to do so without a thorough certification process under Civil Aviation rules. Travellers utilising the MA-60 do so at their own risk" (our emphasis). Southern Cross Travel Insurance confirmed to TravelMemo that such advisories invalidate any insurance cover. 

 

TravelMemo has been told the MA-60 attempted a flight into Ha’apai last week but turned back to Nuku’alofa after reaching the island. Sources believe the pilots saw how short the runway actually was and opted not to land on it.

 

For the full article see : http://www.travelmemo.co.nz/memos/20130813.pdf

 

If anyone up in Tonga would happen to have a nice photo of the MA60 in Tongan registration I would love to be able to post a photo of it... Cheers, Steve westland831@gmail.com  

Air New Zealand - Index of Posts

I have not done a systematic history of Air New Zealand. This index is solely to provide links to the posts I have done that relate to NAC. It will be updated as you new posts are done.

Hamilton International
http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-national-carriers-hamilton.html

Hokitika
http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/air-new-zealands-hokitika-service.html 

Kapiti Coast/Paraparaumu
http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2018/04/kaput-kapiti-air-service-ends.html

Oamaru
http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/farewell-to-friendship-oamarus-air-new.html

Westport
http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2016/04/the-national-carrier-at-westport-part-2.html

Tough Cook Strait Competition for Air2there

Air2there's timetable shows the company has retrenched its flights between Blenheim and Wellington. The current timetable offers flights between these two centres on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays. The company continues to operate its flights between Paraparaumu and Blenheim and Paraparaumu and Nelson.

In recent months Air2there was code-sharing flights between Blenheim and Wellington with Sounds Air. Since then Sounds Air have added another Cessna Grand Caravan to its fleet and have indicated a strengthening of their Cook Strait services.

 

Farewell to the Friendship - Oamaru's Air New Zealand Service

UPDATED JANUARY 2025

 

On the 1st of April 1978 the National Airways Corporation merged with Air New Zealand. Oamaru's timetable remained unchanged from the NAC Fokker Friendship service, that is, a daily morning northbound Friendship service Wellington via Timaru to Wellington and an evening service back over the same route. At the time of the merger Air New Zealand was increasing its fleet of the 48-seat 500 series Fokker Friendships and these became the mainstay of the Oamaru service.

One feature of the Oamaru Friendship service was that the of the short 25 minute hop between Oamaru and Timaru was mainly flown VFR with the Friendship often passing low over Timaru city on its departure from or approach to Timaru’s Richard Pearce airport. This short hop, however, was also one of the problems of the Oamaru service. While the Friendship might have been often fairly full between Timaru and Wellington there was no passenger demand for flights between Oamaru and Timaru and this sectore often flown largely empty. This was revealed in the Ministry of Transport’s 1981 paper on domestic aviation policy.

 

The report indicated that travellers on main trunk air routes paid much higher fares than would normally be required because of the need to recoup on loss-making provincial services. It conceded that while the figures showed in many cases the passenger load factors achieved were of a satisfactory level by world standards, the additional revenue required to recover costs on each route was of a substantial magnitude. It would be inevitable that the implementation of the fare increases necessary to recover such additional revenue would result immediately in a significant traffic dilution to an extent that would require the abandonment of air services to some communities.

 

In terms of the services to Timaru and Oamaru the report showed that during the year ending 31 March 1980 the Wellington-Timaru sector, which had two flights each day, had a load factor of 73% while the Timaru-Oamaru sector, flown once a day, had a 31.7% load factor with the loss of that sector for the year being $240,900 for the year. The report did not support suggestions that Air New Zealand should develop a third level aircraft fleet with 20-seat aircraft, but rather that private operators would be better able to operate on these routes at economic levels because the smaller nature of their operations would involve less costly overheads, including lower staffing levels and servicing requirements.

 

Air New Zealand Fokker Friendship overnighting at Oamaru on ZK-NAN 20 March 1989

 

The early 1980s did see the rise of a new generation of third level airlines but it was not until 1989 that this started to impact on Oamaru. On the 3rd of July 1989 Air Nelson extended its regional network south from Christchurch to Oamaru using a 10-seat Piper Pa31 Chieftain to supplement the Air New Zealand Friendship service. This was the beginning of the end of Oamaru's Air New Zealand Friendship service as Friendships were gradually retired.



The last time Air New Zealand Friendships appeared in the Air New Zealand timetable flying from Oamaru to Timaru and Wellington... Also appearing in this timetable was Air Nelson's Piper Chieftain service to Christchurch. Also shown is the Air New Zealand route map with both the Friendship and Chieftain services shown. Timetable effective : 30 October 1989



 

 

 

For Oamaru the last Air New Zealand Friendship services were flown in the weekend of the 21st and 22nd of April 1990. On the afternoon of Saturday the 21st of April, under the command of Captain Tony Rundle and First Officer Mike Hogan, the last Air New Zealand flight, NZ353, operated in Fokker Friendship ZK-NFI, arrived in Oamaru from Wellington and Timaru with Sally Ussher being the flight attendant. The following morning the Friendship left Oamaru for the last time with the same crew operating NZ334 to Timaru and Wellington.

The Oamaru Mail recorded the "last recognised flight of Air New Zealand's Friendship aircraft service into Oamaru" as that of the 21st of April 1990. A photo was taken on the day of the air crew and airport staff. Photo : Oamaru Mail, 23 April 1990

Photo : Oamaru Mail, 28 April 1990

 Photo : Oamaru Mail, 28 April 1990

Out of all the provincial centres impacted by Air New Zealand's withdrawing its Friendship service, Oamaru was the biggest loser. It went a service operated by a pressurised 48-seat turbo prop to Air Nelson's 9-seat Piper Chieftain unpressurised piston aircraft with a poorly thought out timetable. 

Tonga's MA60 airborne!

 

 

The Government is warning Kiwis to be extra vigilant when travelling on the Real Tonga airline from today. The airline's MA-60 aircraft, which has one of the world's worst safety records, is now in service. "The MA-60 has been the subject of serious concerns amongst aviation experts. It is not certified to fly in New Zealand and would not be allowed to do so without a thorough certification process under Civil Aviation rules," Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said. "The MA-60 is not certified by comparable jurisdictions such as the European Aviation Safety Agency (EU), the Federal Aviation Administration (US) and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (AUS)." Tonga was gifted a MA-60 for its Real Tonga airline to use for domestic flights by China. Since 2009 there have been 11 serious incidents involving MA-60s, three of them in the last two months. Most of the crashes were caused by technical or system failure. The New Zealand Government has suspended millions of dollars in tourism aid to Tonga after learning the kingdom wants to use these unsafe planes. "We will not be spending taxpayer money promoting tourism in Tonga until we are satisfied with the safety and reliability of this new air service," Mr McCully said. He said the Government was in in discussions with the Tongan Government on this issue. "I reiterate my offer of support to Tonga to assist them in ensuring aviation safety, a critical component of tourism in the Pacific Islands."

 

Source :

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/nz-issues-travel-advisory-new-plane-cleared-fly-5530616/video

There is also a video clip of the earlier news item at this site

 

There is a really excellent photo of it in its Chinese registration at "

http://cdn.feeyo.com/pic/20130630/201306301106267376.jpg

Air Niugini set to return to Auckland

 

 

Papua New Guinea’s national flag carrier, Air Niugini, has announced that it will soon introduce new flights to Fiji and Auckland. The announcement from board chairman, Garth McIllwain came just after Air Nuigini made its maiden flight to the Indonesian resort island of Bali. The Post Courier reports him saying the new destinations will see a growing and extensive coverage of the region by the airline.

 

Source : http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=78192

More Tongan Woes

An Air Chathams aircraft which has been providing the only flights to Vava’u in Tonga is out of service for the next few days due to mechanical problems. New Zealand owned Air Chathams leased a 50-seat Convair aircraft to Real Tonga for flights to Vava’u until the controversial MA-60 begins service. Despite the Tongan government saying the MA-60 would be in service from last week, it is yet to receive an Air Operation Certificate which would allow it to carry passengers. The general manager of Air Chathams, Noel Gillespie, says its plane is being repaired over the next few days. Mr Gillespie also says the Convair’s short-team lease to Real Tonga ends in a week. The chief executive of Real Tonga, Tevita Palu, says the MA-60, which is the final stage of certification, should be ready by then. Mr Palu says Real Tonga hopes to charter a Fiji Airways plane for flights to Vava’u over the next few days.

 

Source : http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=78180, 9 August 2013

Still grounded...

Tonga’s new Chinese-gifted plane is still awaiting clearance to be put into operation on domestic routes of the carrier, Real Tonga. The route between Nuku’alofa and Vava’u is being served by an aircraft of the New Zealand carrier, Chathams Pacific, which had ceased flights in March after learning of the arrival of the Chinese MA-60 aircraft... The chief executive of Real Tonga, Tevita Palu, says while the MA-60 has been doing practice circuits, it has not yet taken passengers. Mr Palu says the airline is still waiting for an Air Operation Certificate from an international body, which would allow it to take passengers.

 

For the full article see : http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=78142