Traffic

Eastwest Airlines BAe 146-300 VH-EWN was withdrawn from service on 18/01. The BAe 146 was then painted in the colours of Ansett New Zealand being registered ZK-NZK and named City of lnvercargi/1 though that name is also carried by ZK-NEZ a DHC-8-100 of Ansett New Zealand. ZK-NZK departed Melbourne for Christchurch on 26/01 on delivery to Ansett New Zealand. Eastwest Airlines newly delivered Boeing 727-277 VH-ANE operated a charter out of Brisbane to Denpasar via Darwin on 06/02.

In 05/87 Ansett Airlines parent company TNT took delivery of the first of what was then a projected fleet of 72 BAe 146-QT’s (Quiet Traders). It was planned that they would be delivered over the following five years and that the projected order would allow TNT sole access to the QT version of the 146. TNT have since terminated this agreement after delivery of the 23rd aircraft. As can be seen from the following list, TNT have only been able to place one BAe 146QT out of a total of six delivered in the last 18 months. Delivery details of the TNT BAe 146 fleet are as followsBAe 146-200QT -05/87 G-TNTA to AirFoyle, UK: 09/87 G-TNTB AirFoyle: 12/871-TNTC Mistral Air, Italy: 02/88 SE-DEi Malmo Aviation, Sweden: 03/88 G-TNTH AirFoyle then in 06/89 transfered to EC-EPA Pan Air, Spain: 09/88 D-ANTJ NFD, Germany: 10/88 EC-ELT Pan Air: 11/88 HA-TAB MALEV, Hungary: 12/88 SE-DHM Malmo Aviation then in 12/89 transfered to G-TNTD AirFoyle: 01/89 F-GTNU Euralair, France: 05/89 VH-JJY Ansett Air Freight: 06/89 VH-JJZ Ansett Air Freight. BAe 146-300QT – 12/89 SE-DIM Malmo Aviation: 02/90 SE-DIT Malmo Aviation: 06/90 G-TNTE AirFoyle: 09/90 G-TNTF AirFoyle then in 06/91 transfered to EC-FFY Pan Air: 10/91 G-TNTG AirFoyle.

The following BAe 146-300QT’s have been delivered to TNT and are presently held in storage in the UK-G-BSGI delivered 10/90 : G-BSLZ 11/90: G-BSXL 05/91: G-BTHT 10/91: G-BTLD 03/92. Two of the stored BAe 146-300QT’s were activated in 03/92 to commence operations for Air Philippines, Manila.

Compass Fleet Departs

As the world well knows, Compass Airlines ceased operations at 2100 EDST on 20/12 with their aircraft being grounded in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.

All five original Compass aircraft have been repossessed by their owners and flown overseas. The first aircraft to depart Australia was A310-304 VH-YMI, which was leased to Compass by Canadian Airlines International and as C-FWDX was delivered to Compass at Brisbane on 21/06/91. On 28/01 the A310 reverted to C-FWDX before departing Melbourne that evening for Nadi using callsign Canadian 9220. A300B4-605R VH-YMK, which was leased from Monarch Airlines, was grounded in Sydney and it became the second Compass aircraft to leave Australia. On 30/01 VH-YMK was registered G-MONS before departing the following morning for Singapore and Abu Dhabi using callsign Monarch 319 Papa.

In Brisbane A300B4-605R VH-YMJ, which was also leased from Monarch changed its registration to G-MONR on 31/01. As Monarch 321 Papa G-MONR departed Brisbane for Singapore and Abu Dhabi on 03/02.

Also grounded in Brisbane were the two Polaris Leasing A300B4-605R’s VH-YMA and VH-YMB. On 02/02 they were registered N165PL and N166PL respectively before they departed the following day for Singapore and Abu Dhabi. In a depressed airline market it will be interesting to see what becomes of the five Compass aircraft. It appears that the A310 VH-YMI/C-FWDX was initially to be flown to Canada before continuing on to the UK for overhaul prior to delivery to Kuwait Airways. The four Compass A300’s were flown to the Gulf Aircraft Maintenance facility at Abu Dhabi for overhaul and repaint. It is expected that A300s’ VH-YMJ/G-MONR and VH-YMK/G-MONS will return to service with Monarch Airlines.

Airline News

Air New Zealand took delivery of their second 767-319ER, ZK-NCF, at Auckland on 17/02, when the aircraft flew in from Seattle.

After a lengthy period of negotiations Air New Zealand’s retired fleet of eight F27-500s are finally starting to move to a new life with Merpati Airlines in Indonesia. First aircraft to depar t Christchurch was PK-MFF on 20/02 and it was followed later in the month by PK-MFG. These aircraft are believed to be the for­ . mer ZK-NFA and ZK-NFB respectively.

Ansett Australia have also managed to move F27-600 VH-FNO, which had been stored at Melbourne since 07/89. On 06/02 VH-FNO departed for Alice Springs and Broome with its eventual destination being Norwich, England. At Norwich, VH-FNO will be overhauled by Air UK before continuing to Canada and service with Brooker-Wheaton Aviation. Meanwhile the two remaining Ansett F27-200’s in storage at Melbourne, VH-MMR and VH-MMV were both receiving attention in late 02/92 to bring them back to an airworthy standard.

Ansett Australia’s 12th and final A320-211 VH-HYL will be delivered in 04/92 after a period in storage in Europe. Two further A320-211’s have also been delivered to Ansett, however they will not see airline service in Australia. These aircraft were the prospective VH-HYM msn 236 and VH-HYN msn 237, which were leased to Air Inter in 10/91 and 11/91 respectively as F-GHQK and F-GHQM.

Australian Airlines have ordered a 15th 737-476, VH-TJS, for delivery in 03/93. Delivery of this aircraft will give Australian an operating fleet of 31 737s-16 737-376 and 15 737-476. During 1992 Australian will take delivery of five more 737-476s as follows – VH-TJN 04/92, VH-TJO 07/92. VH-TJP 10/92, VH-TJQ 11/92 and VH-TJR 12/92.

Qantas are to wet lease three Boeing 747-338 aircraft, VH-EBT, -EBX and -EBY to Japan Air Lines (refer March 91 AA, Airline Affairs). All three aircraft will be painted in JAL colours and the first of these, VH-EBX, was rolled out of the Qantas maintenance facility at Sydney on 16/02. From observation VH-EBX carries the standard JAL colour scheme with the inclusion of an ‘operated by Qantas’ near the rear passenger door and on the tail under the JAL logo. The second aircraft to be painted in JAL colours will be VH-EBY in late 03/92. VH-EBX and VH-EBY will commence flying for Japan Airlines from 01/04 and they will be joined at a later date by VH-EBT.

Polynesian Airlines will lease a Boeing 737-300 from ILFC from late 04/92 to replace Boeing 727-277 VH-RMN, which will be returned to Ansett Australia on termination of the commercial agreement between the two companies

Ferry Flights

Metro 111 N605AS msn AC-494 ferried from Auckland to Sydney on 14/02. N605AS has been in our region for some months as it was first noted in Sydney last May. The following September N605AS was ferried to Auckland and at the time was believed to be on delivery to Eagle Airways, Hamilton.

Eastern Australia EMB-110P1 VH-WDI ferried Pt Vila/Noumea/ Lord Howe Island to Sydney on 04/02 after the termination of its lease to local operator Vanair. Two ex New Zealand registered Islanders were noted recently transiting Norfolk Island while on ferry to new owners in Fiji and the US. On 22/12 DQ-FFF, which was previously ZK-FXY departed Norfolk for Noumea while on 30/12 N3211Z ex ZK-FGR departed for Vav’au.

Bell 222U JA9689 was noted on Hamilton Island on 12/02 and it was later registered VH-UHJ to local operator Helijet. Jayrow Helicopters leased Bell 205A C-GRVQ in 11/91 from Union Helicopters, BC. The Bell was noted at Moorabbin in late 02/92 being prepared for shipment back to Canada. It is interesting to note that C-GRVQ was at one time on the Australian register when operated by Esso Exploration out of West Sale as VH-UHQ.

Air Rarotonga Heron ZK-TAJ, which was recently replaced in service by EMB-110P1 ZK-TAI, ferried into Auckland from Norfolk Island on 07/02 for disposal. Noted at Port Moresby on 27/01 was the first of three Harbin Yunshuji Y-12’s on delivery to Fiji Air. PA31-350 VH-WAG has been sold to Wira Kris in Malaysia as 9M-AZN and was noted as such at Moorabbin on 04/02. Meanwhile, Vietnam Airlines operated a charter service to Australia on 26/01 using A310-222 LZ-JXB leased from JesAir. As VN753 the flight operated ChiMinh City/Darwin/Melbourne/Sydney and return. Condor B757-230 D-ABNC operated direct into Hamilton Island from Hong Kong on 04/02, and later continued to Alice Springs 07/02 and Sydney 09/02.

Biz Jet News

Boeing 737-33A N731XL was delivered to Elders/IXL in Melbourne in 12/89 as the flagship of their executive fleet. However, the Boeings’s stay in Australia was to be short lived as by the following July N731XL was already being advertised for sale.

N731XL remained in Melbourne until December 1990, when it was flown to Dallas, Love Field, where the aircraft was hangared with Associated Air. On 31/01 it was announced that N731XL had been sold to the Government of Mexico to be used as a replacement for a Boeing 727-100 in their Presidential Flight.

Freeport Indonesia have operated BAG 111-401AK PK-PJF out of Cairns since 08/87 with its main use being the carriage of mining personnel between Cairns and Timika in West lrian. With the recent delivery of Boeing 737-200’s PK-OCF and PK-OGG to Airfast and their use on the Timika to Cairns route it came as no surprise when the BAG 111 was withdrawn from Cairns. PK-PJF made its final flight out o fCairnsto Timika on 28/01. In 05/91 Cessna 560 N8HJ, belonging to a Mr F Hackett-Jones was delivered to Australia. The Citation was hangared with lnterair at Essendon and in 09/91 they certified the aircraft as VH-NHJ.

Later that month the Citation was flown to Guernsey in the Channel Islands, where it is now based . In 10/91 Mr HackettJones took delivery of Learjet 31 N9HJ. The following month the Lear was registered in the Cayman Islands as VR-CHJ before being flown to Guernsey. It will be interesting to see whether the Learjet follows the Cessna 560 onto the Australian register.

Visiting overseas bizjets in this period include Cessna S550 D-CIAO, Sydney to Lizard Island on 19/01, BAe 125-800B G-PBWH of Lynton Aviation Cairns to Denpasar 17/02 and Gulfstream 111 HB-IMX Brisbane to Hamilton Island on 05/02. Learjet 35N C-21A 84-0102 of the United States Air Force arrived in Sydney on 16/02 using callsign Mojo 090. The Learjet is based with the US military in Japan and was carrying a VIP from Guam to Canberra by way of Port Morseby and Sydney.

Indian Ocean Airlines

Indian Ocean Airlines intends to commence services in 06/92 from Perth to Cocos Island, Christmas Island and Singapore with a Lockheed Electra. The Indian Ocean Airlines Electra will replace the weekly Australian Airlines Boeing 737-300 charter for the Department for the Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories that presently connects Perth with Cocos and Christmas Islands.

Commencement of services by Indian Ocean Airlines will see the return of the Lockheed Electra to passenger airline service in Australia after an absence of some 20 years. From my records I believe that the last Australian Electra passenger service was operated by VH-RMB of Ansett Airlines from Launceston to Melbourne on May 3, 1971. T he last scheduled passenger service by an Electra out of Australia was on 31/05/72 when ZK-TEA of Air New Zealand operated TE372 from Sydney to Wellington.

All four major carriers in our region Air New Zealand, AnsettANA, Qantas and TAA flew the Electra with Ansett-ANA having the honours of operating the first of type service on 18/03/59. Though the Electra retired from passenger service in our region in 05/72 the type remained with Ansett Cargo until 1984. Last flight of an Electra out of Australia was on 12/10/84 when N356Q ex VH-RMA departed Melbourne for the US.

Of the 11 Electra’s registered in Australia six are still in service with civil or military operators overseas. Of the remainder two have been destroyed in crashes – VH-RMC ex Ansett-ANA at Kansas City in 01/86 and VH-ECB ex Qantas at Taura, Ecuador in 09/89. VH-TLA and VH-TLB which were operated by TAA have both been scrapped while former Qantas Electra VH-ECD has been withdrawn from service by Mandala Airlines in Indonesia.