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East-West Friendships for UK
East-West Airlines have leased six F27-500s to Jersey European Airways in the UK. The six aircraft involved (VH-EWU, -EWV, -EWW, -EWX, -EWY and -EWZ) terminated services with East-West in August 1989 at the start of the pilots’ dispute. All aircraft, with the exception of VH-EWW, were stored at Tamworth. VH-EWW has been based in Sydney operating on lease to Charter Cruise Air, however on August 5th it was ferried to Tamworth in preparation for delivery to Jersey European. The first two aircraft to depart Tamworth were VH-EWY and VH-EWZ which flew out of there for Darwin on August 5th. The following day they continued their ferry to Denpasar and Phuket. Jersey European Airways are part of the Walker Aviation Group who have bases at Exeter and Jersey airports. Prior to delivery of the East-West F27s they were operating a mixed fleet of BAe 748s and F27s. The number of Friendships in our region being offered for sale continues to grow. The New Zealand Transport Ministry operated F27-200s ZK-DCA and ZK-DCB on calibration flights throughout the South Pacific, however both these aircraft are now being offered for sale. Air New Zealand have already withdrawn their five F27-100s (ZK-BXE, -BXF, -BXG, -BXH and -BXI) from service and placed them on the market. The recent announcement that Air New Zealand will withdraw completely from F27 operations by late 1990 will mean another ten F27-500s coming onto the market. Other Fokker changes concern the F28 fleet operated by Ansett NSW, Ansett NT, Ansett WA and East-West. We have already mentioned that the five F28-1000 aircraft operated by Ansett NSW and Ansett WA, VH-FKA, -FKC, -FKD, -FKE and -FKF, are being advertised for sale. As these aircraft are withdrawn they will be replaced by the F28-3000s and -4000s presently operated by East-West. In Traffic/September we mentioned that the Lloyd Aviation F28-4000 VH-LAR was flown from Adelaide to Perth in early July to join the fleet of Ansett WA. VH-LAR was in fact flown to Perth for Ansett WA to carry out a refit on the aircraft. VH-LAR was reregistered VH-FKO before delivery to East-West Airlines in late August. On delivery, East-West would in turn return F28-4000 VH-EWH to Ansett WA where it is planned to return to its original registration of VH-FKJ.
Airline News
Qantas took delivery of their sixth Boeing 767-338ER and seventh Boeing 747-438 in this period, with both flights being used to gain further experience on the long range capabilities of these aircraft. Boeing 767-338ER VH-OGF ‘City of Lismore’ was initially flown from Seattle to Honolulu. There, as QF7636, it picked up passengers for the 4,409nm (8,165km) direct flight to Sydney, where it arrived on July 30th. Boeing 747-438 VH-OJG ‘City of Hobart’ as QF7447 flew into Sydney on August 18th, after taking just over fifteen hours on the direct flight from Vancouver. Air Pacific put their new Boeing 767-204ER DQ-FJA ‘Island of Vanua Levu’ into service on July 8th operating a flight from Nadi to Auckland. The Boeing 767 has replaced in service Boeing 737-2X2 DQ-FDM, which was sold to Japan Fleet Services of Singapore. On July 14th the Boeing 737, now registered N719A, was flown from Suva to Christchurch. After a planned two month refit by Air New Zealand N719A will be delivered to Aramco. Australian Airlines Boeing 737-376 VH-TAU operated on lease to Air Caledonie International between July 15th and 24th. This was while Air Caledonie’s own Boeing 737-33A F-ODGX was in for planned maintenance. Australian Boeing 737-376 VH-TAX, which has been operating on lease to the UK based Inter European Airways since late April, returned to Australia in late August. Air New Zealand have terminated the lease on Britannia Airways Boeing 737-204 G-BADP. The Britannia Boeing, which has been operating with Air New Zealand since early April, flew out of Christchurch on August 13th on its return to the UK. National Jet have also recently painted their titles on their Boeing 727-77C VH-TBS. Ansett Worldwide Aviation Services had on order six Boeing 767-300ER aircraft with options on a further seven. They have recently taken delivery of three Boeing 767-284ERs which were ordered but then cancelled by Olympic Airways. Details of these three aircraft are as follows – msn 24716 built as SX-ERA for Olympic but sold before delivery to AWAS. Handed over to AWAS on May 1st and delivered the same day to LanChile as CC-CEX; msn 24742 built as SX-ERB and delivered to AWAS on June 8th. Leased the same day to Royal Brunei Airlines as V8-RBD. This aircraft set a speed/distance record on its delivery flight from Seattle to the Brunei capital of Bandar Seri Begawan. On departure from Seattle V8-RBD flew direct to Nairobi taking 17hr 22mins between the two points and covering 14,890kms on a great circle route; msn 24762 built as SX-ERC for Olympic and delivered to AWAS on June 12th. The Boeing was leased to LanChileasCC-CEY and departed Seattle the same day on its delivery flight.
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Ferry Flights
Air Caledonie took delivery of Do228-200s F-ODYB and F-ODYC on July 13th after the two aircraft ferried in from Townsville. The Dorniers will replace in service Air Caledonie’s three DHC-6-300’s. These aircraft, F-ODGI msn 502, F-ODGL msn 703 and F-ODGP msn 505, have been sold to US based World Jet Aircraft International Former Air Nelson PA31-350 ZK-CGS msn 7852068 departed Auckland on its trans-Tasman ferry to Australia on July 24th, and later in the month it was noted parked at Archerfield. Another ex Air Nelson PA31-350, ZK-FQW msn 7952206, which was parked at Christchurch in early August should have been ferried to Australia by the time this is read. Cessna 340 ZK-JWS was noted at Bankstown in early August.
Brisbane also recorded a number of transpacific ferry flights in this period. On July 19th Thrush Commanders N3102Y and N3102Z transited en route Honiara to Griffith, while on the 24th Beech 36 N15654 and Beech 33 N5671T arrived from Noumea.
For the New Zealanders the highlight of this period was a visit by RA AF ARDU Douglas C-47 A65-95. The veteran Douglas spent about a week in New Zealand in early July before returning to Australia via Norfolk Island.
Bizjet News
Still little to report in this sector of the market. Lloyd Aviation have evidently sold their Westwind freighter VH-JPW to Pel-Air as it was noted at Essendon on August 7th carrying Pel-Air titles. Another Westwind to have titles applied was VH-BCL which now carries those of National Jet. In Traffic/July we mentioned that Westwind N723R msn 272 had been registered to Ansett associate company, Transpacific Enterprises of Bellevue, Washington, and speculated whether we would see it in Australia. The recent registration of a second Westwind N315JM msn 259 to Transpacific Enterprises has revealed that these aircraft will eventually join the fleet of Skywest Aviation, as part of the Coastwatch contract. Skywest are planning to take delivery of three Westwinds modified to IAI Seascan standard in the second quarter of 1991 with registrations VH-LLW, -LU< and -LLY being reserved.
A surprise arrival back in Melbourne in early August was the Elders IXL Boeing 737-33A N731XL. After its departure for Orlando in late June, where it was being offered for sale, we thought that was the last we would see of it. While on the subject of executive Boeing 737s, we see that News Corp have decided against taking delivery of a Boeing 737-53A from Ansett World wide. Rupert Murdoch’s Boeing has instead been sold by AWAS to Linjeflyg as SE-DNC.
Regional Airline News
Crane Airlines changed their name to Sydney Airlines on July 6th. On August 1st they commenced operations from Sydney to Wangaratta, and appropriately on November 1st (deregulation D day) they plan to extend this service through to Melbourne. Sydney Airlines presently operate Commander SOOS VH-IBY and PA31-350 VH-LCE, however they hope to add a King Air 200 to their fleet in the near future.
Air Transit, operating out of Adelaide, have changed their name to Kangaroo Island Airlines, thus better reflecting their main sphere of operations.
Lloyd Aviation were taken over by Skywest Aviation on August 10th so it will be interesting to see what happens to their Shorts 330 commuter operations out of Adelaide. Lloyd Aviation were recently awarded a five year contract for oil industry related operations from Darwin to Troughton Island. A DHC-8 is to be imported to service this contract.
Eastern Australia Airlines commenced operations on the Melbourne to Devenport route from August 15th using DHC-8 equipment.
The Norfolk Pacific Group have recently moved some of their aircraft around their various subsidiaries. Sunbird Airlines, based in Cairns, transferred Cessna 441 VH-TFW and EMB-110P1 VH-MWX to Flightways in Perth during July. The Cessna 441 replaces another of the same type, VH-CCY, which in mid August was being prepared by Pacific Aviation in Brisbane for delivery in the United States. Another Norfolk Cessna 441 recently handled by Pacific Aviation was VH-NIE, sold to West Star Aviation of Grand Junction, Colorado. As N445WS the Cessna 441 departed Brisbane on August 1st on its transpacific crossing.
Sunstate have added former Eastern Australia Airlines Cessna 404 VH-DLF to their fleet. EMB-11OP1 VH-BWC re-entered service on August 2nd, after repainting in Australian Airlines colours.
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