Traffic

A second bizjet to depart our region in this period was the former Lloyd Aviation Learjet 35A VH-BIB. Once again the departure of this aircraft came as no surprise, as VH-BIB has been for sale since Lloyd lost its Department of Defence target towing contract to Fleet Support P/L last year. VH-BIB was sold to the Detroit-based freight operator Connie Kalitta Air Services and was registered to them as N71CK before departing Australia on 8 March. Austcorp Air Cessna 501 VH-LCL was badly damaged on Lord Howe Island in April 1990. The Citation was then shipped back to the mainland, where it was placed in storage while a decision was made on its future. In February VH-LCL was sold to Dodson Aviation in the United States. Dodson specialises in buying damaged aircraft so it will be interesting to see if they rebuild VH-LCL or whether it is used as a source of spares. In late April Cessna 500 VH-NEW of lcena Aviation was being prepared for overseas delivery to an operator in the Middle East.

During 1990 Hancock Exploration purchased Challenger 600 VH-NKS from Australian Capital Equity and it replaced in service their BAe 125-700B VH-LRH. In late 08/90 VH-LRH was sold to Continental Aviation Sales, Illinois, USA and it was anticipated that the 125 would be ferried overseas. VH-LRH however continued to be part of the Perth Airport scene although it did little flying. In late April VH-LRH was flown across to Sydney where it is now based with Pacific Aviation. In Traffic May 90 we mentioned the overseas sale of BAe 125-800B ZK-RJI. Though ini tially flown to the UK, ZK-RJI was registered in 02/91 as N499SC to the Salvatore Corporation of Houston, Texas.

Propjet News

King Air C90 N8088V msn LJ-538 arrived in Brisbane on 14 March on completion of its trans-Pacific ferry flight from the US. T he following month the King Air was noted at Brisbane registered VH-LLS to local company Nakara P/L. King Air B200C VH-FDS ‘Marjorie Loveday’ was delivered to the RFDS (Queensland) at Cairns on 03/04. As N83GA this King Air was delivered to Australia in 10/90. Former Norfolk Pacific King Air 200s VH-NIC and VH-NIH have been noted flying out of Cairns with a new operator, Western Pacific Aviation. At Essendon, lnterair are preparing another of their Mitsubishi MU-2s for ferry to the US. Noted there on 08/04 was Marquise VH-MIU carrying the US registration N661DP. Former Corpair Cessna 441 VH-ANJ has been static at Perth since that company ceased operations in mid 1990. VH-ANJ was noted at Essendon on 06/04 while being prepared for delivery to a Sydney based owner. Norfolk Airlines Cessna 441 VH-TFW has been parked at Brisbane Airport since that company ceased operations on 01/03. In Traffic 05/91 we mentioned that Tamair Commander 681 VH-NY G had been destroyed in a crash near Tamworth Airport. The date of this accident was 14/02 and not as was stated in that issue.

Regional Airline News

Eastern Australia Airlines ceased operations on the Sydney to Bathurst route on 21/04 with Hazelton Airlines taking over the following day. Eastern also ceased operations on their coastal route from Newcastle to Brisbane from 28/04. This daily return Bandeirante service was operated via Taree, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Lismore and Coolangatta. Withdrawal from these routes has resulted in Eastern reducing their Bandeirante fleet from three to one. By mid April VH-WDI had already been taken out of service at Tamworth and it is expected that VH-WDF will be the second Bandeirante to be retired and sold. T his will leave Eastern Australia with a fleet of four DHC-8-100, four Jetstream 31 and one EMB-110P1. One time Eastern Cessna 404 VH-SON was noted at Tamworth on 11/04 prior to delivery to Airlink, Rabaul as P2-ALG. In April two regional airlines ceased operations. T hey were Sydney Airlines on the 9th and Torres Air on the 12th. Southern Pacific Regional Airlines commenced operations on 10/04 on the route Brisbane to Bundaberg and Gladstone. Initial equipment used was ex Queensland Pacific Airlines Mohawk 298 VH-HKT. Changes to the Queensland Pacific colour scheme were very basic with the aircraft retaining its yellow/green cheatline, airline titles changed to Southern Pacific instead of Queensland Pacific and the stylised Norfolk Pines removed from the fin.

In May, Southern Pacific were planning to commence operations on the Brisbane to Newcastle route as well as increased frequency to Bundaberg and Gladstone. Mohawk 298s VH-HEI and VH-HIX will be added to the fleet. T he fourth ex Queensland Pacific Mohawk 298 VH-HKS was ferried from Brisbane to Syd ney on 07/04 and commenced operations the following day on lease to Ansett Express on the Sydney to Dubbo route.

The Skyport Group commenced regional airline operations on 18/04 over the former Ansett NT route between Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine and Darwin. Skyport are using Cessna 441s VH-LEM and VH-XMJ to service the route. The Skyport Shorts 330 VH-HUS terminated its lease to Sunstate Airlines on 11/04 and the same day it was ferried from Brisbane to Alice Springs. Skyport are planning to use their Shorts 330 on a twice daily service between Alice Springs and Ayers Rock.

Friendship Farewell

Australian Regional Airlines withdrew their last Fokker F27 from scheduled passenger service in early April, thus bringing to an end an era which started in May 1959.

On 05/04 VH-TQT F27-600 of Australian Regional Airlines operated TN1507 from Thursday Island to Cairns. The following day the Friendship was ferried from Cairns to Brisbane via Townsville, where it joined sister ship VH-TOS in storage.

Unless another airline starts scheduled F27 operations in Australia, TN1507 of 05/04 will be recorded as the last service by a type that has dominated regional airline services in this country over the last 32 years. Australian Regional took delivery of their DHC-8-100 VH-FNQ msn 258 at Townsville on 27/03, when it ferried in from Majuro. Australian Regional are using their Dash 8 on routes connecting Bamaga, Caims, Thursday Island and Townsville.

Airline News

Compass Airlines took delivery of their third Al A300B4-605R VH-YMA at Brisbane on 05/04. VH-YMA is the first of five A300B4-605Rs that Compass will lease from Polaris Aircraft. The later than planned delivery of VH-YMA resulted in Compass leasing Al A310-300 P2-ANA from Air Niugini. As PX6034 P2-ANA ferried from Singapore to Melbourne on 31/03. P2-ANA then flew with Compass between 01/04 and 05/04. Compass Airlines’ fourth Al A30084-605R VH-YMB was planned to arrive at Brisbane on 01/05.

Qantas Boeing 747-238B VH-EBN departed Sydney for Singapore on 26/03 as QF501D. Qantas have sold VH-EBN to the Potomac Leasing Company and they in turn leased the aircraft to United Airlines as N163UA. Boeing 747-238B VH-EBB was withdrawn from Qantas operations in early April and after repainting entered service with Air Pacific. Boeing 747-238B VH-EBI which was with Air Pacific, was withdrawn from service in April. VH-EBJ was planned for departure from Sydney in early May to join the fleet of United Airlines as N158UA.

National Jet Boeing 727-77C VH-TBS departed Sydney on 30/03 as QF501P bound for Los Angeles via Nadi, Papeete and Honolulu. The Boeing was flown to the US for major servicing. Qantas made extensive use of VH-TBS over the first three months of 1991 mainly to serve the trans-Tasman bloodstock trade. Meanwhile Australian Cargo, who have been operating VH-TBS on lease since 03/90, terminated this agreement in late New Zealand based freight operator Southern World Airlines commenced operations in March. Southern World are operating leased MD DC-8-63F N7043U and as SWN021/022 are scheduling it twice weekly on the route Los Angeles/Honolulu/Pago Pago/Auckland/Melbourne/Auckland/Honolulu/Los Angeles. Eastwest Airlines took delivery of their sixth BAe 146-300 VH-EWN at Tamworth in early May. The final two BAe 146-300s on order, VH-EWR and VH-EWS, are due for delivery in June and July. As the BAe 146-300s enter service with Eastwest their three remaining F28-4000s VH-EWA, -EWB and -EWD will be trans- ferred to Ansett Express.

On 08/04 Ansett Express, using Fokker F50 equipment, commenced a specialised high frequency operation between Sydney and Canberra under the name of Shuttle Express. Fokker F50s VH-FNA and VH-FNB were painted in Express Shuttle titles, however it was VH-FNF that operated the inaugural service. It has always been a puzzle to us why Ansett Express’ Fok- ker 50s VH-FNH and VH-FNI spend so much time parked at Tullamarine. Though carrying Ansett Express titles they are apparently owned by Ansett Airlines, who are advertising the aircraft for sale or lease. Ansett Airlines withdrew from Fokker F50 operations at the start of the AFAP dispute so VH-FNH and VH-FNI carry Ansett Express titles, as they are occasionally leased from the parent company.

Ansett New Zealand Boeing 737-130s ZK-NEA, -NEB and -NEC have been parked at Christchurch Airport since 12/89 after being withdrawn from service. Though offered for sale it appears that there is no market for these vintage Boeing 737s, which were numbers 2, 4 and 5 off the production line. In early April ZK-NEA was being prepared for ferry to Seattle, where it will become part of the Boeing collection at the Museum of Flight, ZK-NEB and ZK-NEC will also follow to the US, however it is believed that on arrival they will be broken up.

Bandeirante Fleet Changes

In Traffic’ May we detailed the fleet of the grounded Norfolk Group of companies, however one aircraft we missed was Tranzair, New Zealand EMB-110P1 ZK-REU. Previously operated by Sunbird Airlines as VH-SBH, the Bandeirante was leased to Tranzair in 10/90. ZK-REU departed Auckland on ts retum ferry to Australia on 16/03, and was noted parked at Brisbane in late April. To replace ZK-REU in their fleet Tranzair have leased EMB-110P1 N110EA msn 417, which was imported to Australia by Aeromil in 01/91. N110EA crossed the Tasman on 15/03 and later entered service with Tranzair as ZK-TRL

A surprise arrival at Brisbane Airport on 24/04 were two Dornier Do228-200s on delivery to Tranzair. After their overnight stop the Do228-200s, ZK-TRA and ZK-TRB, ferried direct to Auckland. A third Do 228-200 was planned for delivery to Tranzair in mid May. Meanwhile, Norfolk Airlines’ EMB-110P1s VH-FCG, VH-FCK and VH-KIQ have remained parked at Caims since being grounded on 01/03.

Skywest Aviation EMB-110P2 VH-MWV ferried Alice Springs, Darwin to Caims on 25/03 and has since commenced flying on lease to the Port Moresby based Nationair, EMB-110P1 VH-PGS continues its lease to Nationair while the other two Bandeirantes in the Skywest Aviation fleet are EMB-110P1 VH-LSE based in Darwin and EMB-110P2 VH-WBI in Kununurra.

Eagle Air, who operate six Bandeirantes for Air New Zealand Link, leased Metro 111 ZK-NSQ from Air Nelson in late March.