Traffic

Between now and the end of 1994 the remainder of the Australian Airlines fleet will be painted in the new colours of the Qantas Group with the next two aircraft planned for rollout being A300B4-203 VH-TAA in July and Boeing 737-476 VH-TJR in August.

New schedules effective 01/07 will see Qantas Boeing 767 aircraft operating up to 76 sectors weekly on Australian domestic routes, however these aircraft will continue to fly under the TN designator. The physical end for Australian Airlines will come on 30/10 as that will be the last day the TN flight designator will be used. The following day all domestic services will be flown under the Qantas QF flight designator.

On other news Australian Airlines Boeing 737-376 VH-TJD was dry leased to Air Caledonie International from 11/05 while their Boeing 737-33A F-ODGX was undergoing a three week planned maintenance lay-up with Australian in Melbourne. Boeing 727-276 VH-TBQ departed Melbourne on 13/05 on delivery to Extex International. As f/n TN/AUS6901 VH-TBQ was ferried from Melbourne to Forth Worth, Texas via Apia, Honolulu and Las Vegas. The seven remaining Boeing 727-276s in the Australian fleet were sold in 03/93 to Extex International who in turn leased the aircraft to Aeroejecutivo, a Mexican based charter operator. Evidently I was not the only person who was having difficult pronouncing Aeroejecutivo, as it recently changed its name to Aero Exo. VH-TBQ will be the third ex Australian Airlines Boeing 727-276 to enter service with Aero Exo as already it has in service VH-TBJ and VH-TBR which now operate as XA-SDR and XA-SIE respectively.

Other news from the US concerns the former Australian Boeing 727-276 VH-TBI which in 07/92 was sold to the Memphis Group. Due to runway works at the Memphis Group’s home base in Greenwood, Mississippi VH-TBI was ferried from Melbourne to Memphis. Later registered N3459D the Boeing was flown across to Greenwood where it is since reported to be have been broken up as a source of spare parts. Boeing 727-276 VH-TBN meanwhile had its Air Vanuatu markings removed at Melbourne on 06/05 in preparation for its ferry to Fort Worth in mid June.

Regional Airline News

Air Nelson who operate within the Air New Zealand Link network has added two more Saab 340A aircraft to their fleet. Both the Saab’s were previously operated by the Stockholm/ Arlanda based Swedair. The first Saab to be delivered was SE-ISD msn 145, which ferried from Darwin to Brisbane on 26/05 as f/n SWE901. SE-ISD later entered service with Air Nelson as ZK-FXQ. In late 06/93 Air Nelson took delivery of Saab 340A SE-ISX msn 67.

Eastern Australia Airlines took delivery of DHC-8-103 VH-TQN msn 062 at Tamworth on 19/05, when the aircraft ferried in from Broome and Alice Springs. VH-TQN was purchased from the German operator Contact Air with whom it operated as D-BEST in the colours of Lufthansa CityLine. On entry into service with Eastern VH-TQN replaced DHC-8-103 VH-NID which was returned to its lessor.

Flight West Airlines commenced operations on 03/05 between Brisbane and Bundaberg and on 10/05 between Bris- bane and Hervey Bay and to service these routes they have based EMB-110P1 VH-XTL in Brisbane. The Queensland Gov- ernment Western Air Services subsidised route award was handed down in late May with Flight West again being the main recipient. As a result Flight West has added a third Brasilia to their fleet with the purchase of EMB-120RT G-EXEL msn 116 from Air Exel in the UK. Delivered to Brisbane in late May the Brasilia was registered VH-XFX before entering service with Flight West in early July.

Link Airways terminated operations on the Griffith to Melbourne/Essendon route on 21/06 due to poor loadings. Link commenced a three times weekly return service on the route on 08/03 using Commander 690A VH-NYA.

Oxley Airlines took delivery of Beech C99 N240BH msn U-237 in mid 06/93 with the aircraft entering service later in the month as VH-OXD. A fourth Beech C99 N237BH msn U-236 was delivered to Oxley in late 06/93 with the aircraft later entering service as VH-OXE. It is also reported that Oxley has purchased Beech C99 N235BH msn U-235 for delivery in July. Oxley has traded in seven of its PA31-350 fleet to Hawker Pacific with only VH-DVG and VH-STO being retained in serv- ice for freight operations.

Sabair has added the Thargomindah/Cunnamulla/St George/ Toowoomba/Brisbane route to their network underthe Queensland Government Western Air Services subsidised route award. A PA31-350 VH-NDU was added to the Sabair fleet to operate the twice weekly service which commenced on 31/05.

Overseas Visitors

An interesting number of overseas airliners were noted at our airports in this period.

Sempati Air Transport commenced a twice weekly serv- ice between Jakarta and Perth on 06/05. To date flights have been operated by AI A300B4-203 PK-JIA which is an ex PanAm aircraft. The inaugural flight used the callsign “Sierra Sierra Romeo 092′ however subsequent serviceshave called as ‘Spirow 92’. Aeroflot commenced a twice weekly service into Sydney on 17/05 as SU555/6 from/to Moscow and Bangkok. The inaugural service was operated by AI A310-308 F-OGQS.

Middle East Airlines brought another interesting Airbus to Sydney on 17/05, when A310-304 D-AIDH which carried the colours of Lufthansa operated ME634 from Beirut, Dubai and Singapore. Translift Airways DC-8-71 EI-TLD flew into Melbourne from Denpasar on 23/05 as Translift 5060. Carrying 150 passengers EI-TLD was later seen at Sydney and Cairns.

Estonian Airlines Tu-154 SSSR-85727 transited through Sydney on 13/05 as SU3989 from Moscow to Christchurch as part of a ships crew charter. Uzbekistan Airways Ilyushin П1-86 UK-86057 flew Kuala Lumpar to Perth on 07/05 with the drivers and support crews from the London to Sydney car rally. Volga-Dnieper Cargo Antonov An-124RA-82045 and RA-82046 arrived in Perth on 07/05 from Singapore with the rally cars as cargo. Japan Airlines DC-10-40 JA8545 arrived in Canberra from Haneda on 29/04 as JL1779 with the Japanese PM on board.

Bizjet News

Falcon 200 VH-NGF which was operated by GFW Aviation out of Sydney departed in early 05/93 for the United States, where the aircraft will be sold. VH-NGF was a particularly attractive looking Falcon 200 with its overall duck egg blue colour scheme. As N221FJ, the Falcon was imported into our region in 02/87. Initially registered in New Zealand as ZK-MAY and based in Nelson, the Falcon 200 later moved to Sydney and a change of registration to VH-NGF. Also sold in the United States in this period was Skywest Aviation Cessna 550 VH-LJK. The sale of this Citation comes as no surprise as VH-LJK has been hangared in the United States, while awaiting a buyer, since late 1992. On 29/04 VH-LJK was registered N68GA to General Aviation Services of Wheeling, Illinois.

Another Australian bizjet which is a candidate for sale overseas, is BAe 125-700B VH-LRH. Previously operated by Hancock Exploration VH-LRH is presently registered to Continental Aviation Sales in the US.

In 03/93 National Jet Systems BAe 1000 VH-LMP was flown to the UK for maintenance. As a temporary replacement Na- tional Jet leased BAe 125-800B G-DCCC from British Aero- space. G-DCCC, which until recently was registered VH-III with the ANZ Banking Group, arrived in Adelaide from Port Hedland on 26/03.

Learjet 31A VR-CHJ, which was noted in Adelaide and Melbourne in late 04/93, is believed to be the first of its type to visit Australia. It is interesting to note that the Learjet is registered to Tilling Associates of St Helier in the Channel Islands, a company who also own Citation 560 VH-NHJ.

DC-3 Ferry Flights

It is not often that we get the chance to write about the Douglas DC-3, however during the period concerned no fewer than three of the type have made the transTasman crossing. In New Zealand, Fieldair Freight closed down their DC-3 freight operation in late March and placed their three DC-3s, ZK-AMR, ZK-AWP and ZK-BBJ on the market. ZK-AWP was sold to Tim Wallis of the Alpine Fighter Collection at Wanaka while the two other aircraft ZK-AMR and ZK-BBJ were sold through Dennis Thompson International for operation by the United Nations in Cambodia.

ZK-BBJ in an all white scheme was the first to depart New Zealand. On 21/04 using callsign ‘Global 1’ZK-BBJ ferried from Ardmore to Norfolk and Lord Howe. Noted at Brisbane on 19/05 after completing its transTasman crossing was ZK-AMR which was also all white and was using the call sign “UN291”. ZK-AMR was at one time on the Australian register as VH-PWM and in a remarkable coincidence its sister ship VH-PWN also crossed the Tasman during 05/93. VH-PWN, which was oper- ated by Dick Langs Desert Air Safari’s, departed Adelaide on 01/05 on delivery to a Queenstown based operator.

Airline News

Air New Zealand Boeing 767-219ER ZK-NBE terminated its lease from ILFC on 08/04 in Auckland. ZK-NBE then entered the Air New Zealand hangar where it was painted in the colours of Trans Brazil who had leased the aircraft from ILFC. Still registered ZK-NBE the Boeing departed Auckland on 05/06 as f/n NZ6767 on ferry to Papeete and Guarulhos Airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Air Vanuatu EMB-110P1 VH-BWC ‘Espiritu Santo’ was delivered to Port Vila on 30/04.

Ansett Express Fokker 50 VH-FNE was withdrawn from service at Sydney on 12/04 after operating AN2534 from Ballina. The following day VH-FNE was ferried to Brisbane where during its maintenance lay-up it was painted all white. Meanwhile in Melbourne Fokker 50 VH-FNF was taken out of long term storage and moved into the main Ansett hangar where its markings were removed. VH-FNF was joined at Melbourne on 07/05 by VH-FNE and at time of writing the two aircraft are being prepared for overseas lease.

Ansett Worldwide has leased four Boeing 737-33A aircraft to Jet Airways of Bombay, who commenced operations in May. All four aircraft delivered to Jet Airways VT-JAA, JAB, JAC and JAD were part of the nine aircraft fleet repossessed in late 92 from VASP in Brazil.

Australia Air International plans to commence operations later this year with a weekly flight on the route Sydney/ Beijing/Melbourne/Sydney. Boeing 747-206B PH-BUG, which has been reportedly leased from KLM, will be painted in Australia Air colours of green and gold. (Refer p5 June 93 AA) Eastwest Airlines Boeing 727-277 VH-RMN operated its last flight in Eastwest colours on 18/04 as AN2035 from Sydney to Melbourne. The Boeing was then painted in the colours of Ansett Australia before entering service on 13/05. BAe 146-300 VH-EWI also operated its final service in Eastwest colours on 26/05 with the aircraft then hangared in Melbourne for repainting in Ansett Australia colours. The remainder of the Eastwest BAe 146-300 fleet VH-EWN, -EWL and -EWJ are planned to follow VH-EWI through the paintshop in Melbourne. By 07/93 this will leave Eastwest with an operating fleet of one aircraft, Boeing 727-277 VH-ANE. (Refer Stop Press) Qantas Boeing 747-238B VH-EBA departed Sydney on 06/05 in an all white scheme as QF501D on a direct ferry to Norton Air Force Base in California. Qantas has also retired from service Boeing 747-238B VH-EBB which had been operating on lease to Air Pacific. As ‘City of Melbourne’ VH-EBB was originally delivered to Qantas in Melbourne on 29/08/71. VH-EBB operated its last flight for Air Pacific on 01/05 when it flew Nadi to Sydney as FJ914. After overhaul in Sydney, VH-EBB was planned to depart on 22/06 on ferry to Norton Air Force Base. To replace VH-EBB in the Air Pacific fleet Qantas has leased the Pacific Island carrier Boeing 747-238B VH-EBR. In a modi- fied colour scheme, VH-EBR entered service with Air Pacific on 02/05 when it operated FJ913 from Sydney to Nadi.

Talair ceased operations on 25/05 and it is reported that their fleet of DHC-6 and EMB-110 aircraft will be flown to Australia for storage and sale. (Refer Newsdesk)

Ferry Flights

The transTasman route has been very busy in this period mainly with Australian registered aircraft ferrying to New Zealand for sale.

On 03/04 PA-34-200T VH-AYN departed Port Macquarie for Lord Howe and Norfolk. On arrival in New Zealand VH-AYN was registered ZK-RUF. Other aircraft crossing the Tasman in this period were-09/04 Cessna R172K VH-XPĎ Lord Howe to Auckland; 10/04 Cessna 172RG VH-TNU Lord Howe to Norfolk on delivery to the Air New Zealand Flying Club in Christch- urch; 14/04 Cessna 172M VH-WAX arrived Auckland; 24/04 PA-31 VH-JKC Lord Howe to Norfolk and later registered ZK-LTD; 25/04 Cessna 182Q VH-CVH Norfolk to Auckland and VH-CMV Cessna 185B Lord Howe to Norfolk; 29/04 PA-28-235 VH-DBW Lord Howe to Norfolk along with Cessna U206F VH-EKK, while Cessna 172N VH-BFOwas noted being uncrated at Nelson on 02/04 before being registered ZK-TJL Southern Cross Aviation of Camarillo, California has ferried a number of aircraft across the Pacific in this period. Metro III N350AEmsn AC-617 arrived in Brisbane from the US on 14/05 as a stock aircraft for Aeromil. Former CAA Commander 696A VH-LTI now registered N61508 departed Melbourne for Norfolk Island and Pago Pago on 05/05.

Southern Cross has also recently ferried two DHC-6-300 across the Pacific. In early 05/93 Milne Bay Air took delivery of P2-MBL a Twin Otter which was previously operated by Aloha Island Air out of Honolulu. In Traffic 06/93′ we mentioned that Islands Aviation had purchased a DHC-6-300 from Air Inuit. The Twin Otter wasin fact C-FIOJ msn 261 which was previously operated in Canada by Aklak Air out of Inuvik in the North West Territory. On 14/05 C-FIOJ ferried Rabaul/Cairns/ Maryborough where Maryborough Aviation Services commenced work on the aircraft before it entered service with Islands Aviation as P2-IAF.