The 2nd "new" Saab, the 1st "new" Saab and an old Saab

Getting back from Wellington 3 hours earlier than I anticipated meant I could get some record shots of Air Chatham's newest Saab, VH-KDB

On delivery to Air Chathams last night was Pel-Air's Saab SF340A VH-KDB seen here at Auckland on 17 June 2023

Now wearing its New Zealand registration, Air Chathams Saab 340A freighter ZK-CIX at Auckland on 17 June 2023

Not great parking for my photo of VH-KDB, from left Saab340As, ZK-CIY, VH-KDB and ZK-CIX at Auckland on 17 June 2023

 

Temporary Service Ended

Air New Zealand's temporary air service between Napier and Gisborne, established in the light of Cyclone Gabrielle, ended last week. The final flights were operated on the 9th of June with NZ8477 from Gisborne to Napier being operated by Bombardier Q300 ZK-NFB and on 10th of June with NZ8478 from Napier to Gisborne being operated by Bombarider Q300 ZK-NEE.

The termporary service started on the 26th of February 2023 when Bombardier Q300 ZK-NEB operated the first southbound flight, NZ8477 and the first flight northbound NZ8478 on the 27th of February 2023.

During that time it carried more than 5700 passengers.

New Sunair Routes

 

Sunair has announced new East Coast services with two new routes being introduced from the 23rd of June 2023. Twice daily flights are being offered between Gisborne and Napier with flights leaving Gisborne for Napier at 7.30am and 3.15pm and the return flights leaving Napier for Gisborne at 8.30am and 4.15pm. Sunair had operated services through Napier for 19 years until the 5th of October 2015 when the airliner withdrew all flights to and from Napier. The Napier flights also make a Napier-Tauranga service available once a day.

A second new route is being offered between Wairoa and Napier with flights leaving Wairoa for Napier at 7.45am and 3.30pm and leaving Napier for Wairoa at 8.30am and 4.15pm. It seems as if the flights will call at Wairoa if traffic is offering but interestingly the airline is not offering seats between Gisborne and Wairoa. Sunair previously served Wairoa between 2002 and 2008 offering freight only courier services. The last operator to serve Wairoa was Air Napier whose courier flight services which also carried passengers in and out of Wairoa ceased in late 2016.

The new routes will operate Monday to Friday. At the same time Hamilton has been dropped from the Sunair network.

My profile on Sunair, which has had a major rework, can be found here : http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2011/02/sunair-still-shining-25-years-on.html

Hawke’s Bay Airport welcomes the news that North Island airline Sunair Aviation, is launching a new weekday service connecting Napier and Wairoa, and Napier and Gisborne, starting in late June. Rob Stratford, Hawke’s Bay Airport CEO says news of the Sunair service will be welcomed by travellers, regional leaders, and the business community. “Especially with Air New Zealand’s temporary Napier-Gisborne service wrapping up last week, it is vital that we have an alternative way to connect with Wairoa and Gisborne while State Highway 2 remains vulnerable. “We can only see demand for direct air service connection growing as Hawke’s Bay and Tairawhiti move further into the cyclone recovery phase. It’s important that Hawke’s Bay Airport plays a leadership role as a key regional transport asset in maintaining and growing our connectivity with other parts of New Zealand. “We’ve collaborated with our Wairoa and Gisborne counterparts to make this happen, and appreciate Sunair’s ability to work with us in establishing this service,” says Mr Stratford. Dan Power, Flight Operations Manager Sunair Aviation, says the airline is pleased to help. “We saw a need, and are very happy to do our bit to support East Coast communities. Even though the road network is operational, some people may be reluctant to travel by road. It is good to be able to offer travellers an alternative, and we are very grateful for the support of Hawke’s Bay, Wairoa, and Gisborne airports to allow us to offer this service.” Sunair Aviation’s schedule connects Napier, Gisborne, and Wairoa with daily flights (six passenger capacity per flight) from Monday 26 June on weekdays. Gisborne has one return flight each day, and there are two return flights daily between Napier and Wairoa. “Fares are $240 incl GST one way between Gisborne and Napier,” says Mr Power. “And thanks to the support being offered by Hawke’s Bay Airport and Wairoa District Council we are able to reduce the Napier – Wairoa airfares to $190,” he says. Sunair is also introducing a new once daily departure between Napier and Tauranga return via Gisborne, further improving connectivity. Sunair’s full schedule is available on www.sunair.co.nz Wairoa Mayor Craig Little said the Sunair service provides Wairoa people with another option. “Cyclone Gabrielle highlighted our isolation issues and the vulnerability of the routes into and out of Wairoa. I welcome the fact that Hawke’s Bay Airport and Sunair Aviation are working together to provide this new service for Wairoa people. Any additional connectivity layer must be a win for our community. We recognise that due to our small population base, there will be limitations around this service and that the fares will not be the same as regional fares. However, at a time when we have lost so much, it is great to have a new service and option for our district. Thank you to everyone who has been involved in making this happen,” says Mayor Little. Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz says adding to the direct transport options between Gisborne and Napier will be welcomed by our community. “We know our roading network is fragile. The direct flights offered by Air New Zealand were very popular and having more choices will contribute to a healthy, productive relationship between us and our Hawke’s Bay neighbours,” says Mayor Stoltz.

Press Release: Hawke's Bay Airport

2nd Saab on the way

 

The second of Air Chathams' "new" Saab 340s, VH-KDB, has started its ferry flight to Auckland. The Saab has left Wagga Wagga for Syndey. It will arrive in Auckland later this evening.

Three Caribous...

On the 26th of February 2023 I visited the South Australian Aviation Musuem in Adelaide and saw among other exhibits RAAF de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou A4-225... I was wondering if that was one of the two Caribous that visited Hokitika... I was close... it was -275 that visited...

Meanwhile at Hokitika on 12 November 1983...

The RAAF's 38 Squadron De Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou A4-179 at Hokitika on 12 November 1983

The RAAF's 38 Squadron De Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou A4-275 at Hokitika on 12 November 1983

 

Those were the days

Capital Air Services' Cessna 402 ZK-DNQ and QANTAS' Boeing 707 VH-EAH at Christchurch on 31 August 1977... sigh, nostalgia for the viewing deck

 

The End of an Era and the Beginning of Another?

A big THANKS to John King for these superb photos of Air Chathams' first and now retired Fairchild Metroliner III ZK-CIC.

Air Chathams' Fairchild Metroliner III ZK-CIC over Waitangi, the "capital" of the Chatham Islands

ZK-CIC on a more tropical island duty with Chathams Pacific at Vava'u, Tonga, in January 2015

ZK-CIC in the spectacular Whakatāne colour scheme over Whakatāne (above) and Ohope Beach (below) in December 2015

With the purchase of four additional Saabs, (with I understand one to be parted out) one wonders what the future is for Air Chathams two Metroliners, Metroliner III ZK-CID and Metro 23 ZK-POF?

One also wonders what Air Chathams plans are for the aircraft? A commenter on this blog suggested that the other three aircraft Air Chathams have bought are VH-KDK (c/n 340A-016) a freighter, VH-KDB (c/n 340A-008) a freighter and VH-EKD (c/n 340A-155) in passenger configuration.

Rex Airlines' only Saab 340A VH-EKD devoid of titles at Adelaide on 3 March 2023 ... According to Wikipedia it is owned by Pel-Air Aviation Pty Ltd (trading as Pel-Air) which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Regional Express Holdings, which also owns Australian airline Rex Airlines.

So my musings... and they are musings hence the questions marks. In the words of Sergeant Shultz, "I know nothing"

The Metroliners will go?

Whakatāne goes Saab?

More dedicated pure freight flights to and from the Chathams?

Domestic dedicated freight services? Air Chathams at times operates such flights from Blenheim with seafood and at times from Te Anau with crayfish? But maybe another contract with at least two pure freighters?

Masterton? 

Whatever happens exciting times for the airline watchers...

Texel Air - Our new air freight operator

 

UPDATED APRIL 2025

Texel Air describes itself as filling a niche market for specialised cargo missions requiring resourceful solutions with consignments delivered to tight deadlines supported by an uncompromised level of customer service. It was founded by John Chisholm's Chisholm Enterprises in 2013 as a Bahrain registered airline dedicated to providing ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance) charter and CMI (Crew, Maintenance and Insurance) operations from its Gulf base. Before forming Chisolm Enterprises in 2006 John had been helped DHL in the Middle East. With his logistical and managerial experience behind him he saw the potential for a niche air freight operator. 

In 2013 Chisholm Enterprises and Texel Air moved into their new 3200m2 hangar and office facility at Bahrain International Airport establishing Maintenance and Repair Organisation (MRO) facilities  which support airframe (line and base) services with technical support encompassing engineering, planning and material services. 

In 2014 Texel Air WLL was granted a Bahraini Aircraft Operators Certificate by the Bahrain Civil Aviation Affairs deploying Boeing 737-300F aircraft for cargo operations. All Texel's aircraft, to date,  are leased. Three Boeing 737-300Fs were initially used, A9C-JWC from January 2015 to May 2015, A9C-JNC (Samantha) from January 2015 until June 2016 and A9C-TXL from January 2015 until September 2021. Boeing 737-300F, A9C-APC (Samantha), which previously operated for Air New Zealand as ZK-NGP, entered service in September 2015 and remains in the fleet.

In August 2020 the first Boeing 737-700 FlexCombi, A9C-FLX (Nynke), was added to the fleet, Texel Air being the launch customer for the variant. The 700 series Boeing is capable of carrying up to 24 passengers in addition to its freight payload. A second 737-700, A9C-SJW, entered service in September 2021 while A9C-FLX was returned to its lessor in August 2022.

In January 2022 Texel Air introduced a Boeing 737-800BCF,  A9C-GWC (Vera), to its fleet. The 800 is capable of carrying up to 23.9 tonnes of freight and flying it some 3,750 kilometres. A second Boeing 737-800BCF, A9C-JNC, arrived in Bahrain in September 2022 and this is operated for DHL in full DHL colours.

Texel Air's arrival in New Zealand came quite suddenly with a certain level of mystery about it.  Texel Air New Zealand Ltd was established on the 31st of August 2022. 

On the 31st of March 2023 Texel Air's Boeing 737-33A(SF) A9C-APC arrived in Auckland. This particular aircraft was not a stranger to New Zealand skies, previously being operated by Air New Zealand as ZK-NGP. The following day the Air Cargo News website reported, Texel Air Bahrain has deployed a Boeing B737-300 freighter to Auckland, New Zealand to operate charter services for Parceline Express, a subsidiary of Freightways and New Zealand Post. The freighter will fly on a Auckland – Christchurch – Auckland route. Texel Air Bahrain will continue the charter services until Texel Air NZ Ltd, established in February, commences operations with its B737-800BFC in May this year on the same route. Headquartered in Auckland, Texel Air NZ provides ACMI and charter services.

Texel Air began Auckland-Christchurch-Auckland services on the night of the 3rd and 4th of April 2023 with Boeing 737-33A(SF) A9C-APC operating two return services, XLR 73 southbound and XLR 74 northbound, both departing on 3 April 2023 and XLR 77 and XLR 78 operating in the early hours of 4 April 2023. 

Texel Air's Boeing 737-300 A9C-APC at Auckland on 4 April 2023

Arriving into Hamilton on the 22nd of May 2023 was Texel Air's Boeing 737-8B5(BCF) A9C-GWC, Vera, after its ferry flight, XLR 789, from Bahrain via Bangkok and Darwin. The new Boeing 737-800 freighter underwent maintenance and certification checks with Hamilton Aero Maintenance before being placed on the New Zealand register as ZK-TXE.

ZK-TXE arrived into Auckland from Hamilton on the 29th of May 2023 and entered service later that evening flying... 

Texel Air's Boeing 737-8B5F ZK-ZK-TXE at Auckland on 29 May 2023

The Boeing 737-800 Freighter ZK-TXE did some route proving flights from Auckland to Christchurch and return on the 30th of May 2023 flying as TEXEL 2A southbound and TEXEL 2B northbound and as  TEXEL 3A and TEXEL 3B on the 31st of May. On the 1st of June a route proving flight was operated from Auckland to Palmerston North and return as TEXEL 4A and TEXEL 4B.

Regular flights began on the 7th of June 2023 with ZK-TXE operating TEXEL 73 from Auckland to Christchurch and the return to TEXEL 74 and TEXEL 77 and TEXEL 78 being flown over the same route in the early hours of the 8th of June. 

After the arrival of ZK-TXE the Boeing 737-300 A9C-APC became the short-term backup aircraft. Its final regular flights were operated on the 6th and 7th of June with the last ad-hoc flights being flown on the 26th and 27th of June. It finally departed New Zealand on the 21st of July 2023. 

Texel Air's initial customers were New Zealand Post and Parceline Express, a Freightways franchise. A further two aircraft were expected to be in service by the end of 2023 with a fleet of 10 aircraft serving the domestic air freight services in both Australia and New Zealand and trans-Tasman by 2026. 

To that end a second Boeing Boeing 737-8BK(BCF), N739CE, arrived into Auckland in the early hours of the 29th of September 2023. In the morning it flew to Hamilton in preparation for service as ZK-TXA.

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

This aircraft was placed on the New Zealand civil aircraft register on the 18th of October 2023 as ZK-TXA, On the 19th of October it flew from Hamilton to Auckland and entered service on the 20th of October 2023 flying TEXEL 6101 to Christchurch and the return service to Auckland TEXEL 6102

Texel Air's Boeing 737-800 ZK-TXA at Auckland on 21 October 2023 operating TEXEL 6101 to Christchurch

Texel Air's third Boeing 737-800 freighter, Boeing 737-8FE, VP-CJA, arrived in the country on the 28th of November 2023 flying into Hamilton where it was prepared for service. It was placed on the New Zealand civil register as ZK-TXC on the 19th of December 2023.

On the 25th of January 2024 it positioned to Auckland as TNZ 92 before entering service on the 1st of February 2024 operating TNZ 73 to Christchurch and the return TNZ 74. It then operated another return flight to Christchurch in the early hours of the 2nd of February morning as TNZ 74 and TNZ 77. It continued to operate domestic air freight services until the 24th of February 2024 in an all-white colour scheme before being flown to Townsville on the 27th of February for painting in Texel colours.

Texel Air's third Boeing 737-800 freighter for Australasian operations, ZK-TXC, arriving into Auckland from Christchurch as TNZ 6102 on 6 February 2024

ZK-TXC emerged from the paint shop on the 14th of March painted in Team Global Express colours. It positioned from Townsville to Brisbane as TFX 6104 and began operations that evening flying Brisbane to Sydney as TFX21, then on to Melbourne as TFX22 in the early hours of the 15th before returning to Brisbane as TFX23.

On the 4th of April 2024 a fourth freighter arrived in Hamilton for Australian operations. Guernsey registered Boeing 737-8BK(BCF)(WL) 2-DGMI had flown from Honolulu to Nadi the previous day before flying on to Hamilton. Already painted in the Team Global Express colours that sister 737 ZK-TXC wears, it was always destined for Texel's Australian operation. It was placed on the New Zealand register on the 8th of April 2024 as ZK-TXB. On the 6th of May 2024 it flew from Hamilton to Brisbane as TNZ99. It entered service in Australia just after midnight on the 8th of May 2024 flying TXF403 from Brisbane to Melbourne, then operating TXF 404 from Melbourne to Sydney. 

A few weeks later a fifth freighter arrived in Hamilton to be prepared for service by Hamilton Aero Maintenance. Boeing 737-8FH(WLH) N736CE departed Guangzhou in the early hours of the 24th of May 2024 flying via Port Moresby and Auckland, arriving in Hamilton in the early evening. It was registered to Texel Air Ltd, Auckland, as ZK-TXD on the 5th of June 2024. On the 17th of June 2024 it flew from Hamilton to Brisbane as TEXEL 99 to join ZK-TXA in Texel Air colours and ZK-TXB and ZK-TXC in Team Global Express colours operating the Team Global Express Australian domestic air freight contract.

In Team Global Express colours, Texel Air's Boeing 737-800F ZK-TXD being towed across the airport from Hamilton Aero Maintenance to the terminal at Hamilton on 17 June 2024. 

On the 1st of October 2024 Texel Air's Boeing 737-8B5(BCF) ZK-TXE was the first Boeing 737 to use the recently extended runway on the Chatham Islands operating a return flight from Auckland as TNZ176/ TNZ175. A similar return flight was operated on the 24th of October 2024. 

Texel Air's Boeing 737-800 ZK-TXE at the Chathams airport on 1 October 2024

On the 16th of April 2025 ZK-TXE returned to the Chatham Islands, its visit coinciding with a Government "regional summit." A Newsroom article reported that Visiting government and business leaders, disembarking an Air Force Hercules, were met this week 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. 

Texel is founded and majority-owned by Nelson-based John Chisholm. 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. “As a company we’ve invested over US$200 million in New Zealand and Australia in the past one-and-a-half years,” he says. “A lot of time has been spent managing the bureaucracy of New Zealand. New Zealand is a little bit behind the rest of the world, I think, for regulations and civil aviation, and the different agencies. It needs to be changed.” This week, he had access to all the right decision-makers. 

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... Islanders are ever more reliant on air freight – but it’s expensive. They pay twice as much as mainland New Zealanders for their food and groceries (locals say they sometimes pay $25 for a bottle of milk) and four times as much for their electricity, which is generated with diesel that also has to be shipped or flown in. 

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 job to do. We want to bring our plane in here, we want to build the business. If people want to help, or they don’t want to help, well, that’s up to them.” He acknowledged discussions between the two airlines had stalled. “We’d seen ways to cooperate, but so far we haven’t really found a way that works. We’ve got different visions, I think. So we just haven’t come together on that one. “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.” 

A few days later, on the 19th of April 2025, Texel Air introduced their sixth Australasian-based Boeing 737-800 freighter into service. The aircraft had arrived into Auckland from Jakarta to Denpasar on the 1st of March 2025 using a Guernsey-registered ferry registration 2-BPDA. After clearing customs and refuelling it continued to Hamilton for preparation for service. Having been registered as ZK-TXF it positioned back to Auckland on the 17th of April 2025 as TEXEL 98. On the morning of the 19th of April 2025 it entered service flying from Auckland to Christchurch as TEXEL 6101 and returning to Auckland later that afternoon as TEXEL 6102.

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