New Zealand News

Regardless, Air New Zealand still remains keen to buy into Ansett, and has not ruled out the possibility. Refer Airline Affairs this issue for further details.

Mount Cook Orders Atrs

Air New Zealand subsidiary Mount Cook has resisted an unofficial boycott of French products and gone ahead with its plans to order seven new French/Italian ATR 72s.

The 66 seat configured ATR 72s will be delivered from September to February 1996, and will progressively replace Mount Cook’s ageing BAe HS.748 turboprops. The ATRs are replacing the 748s on a one to one basis, and so represent a significant increase in capacity for the airline. Mount Cook is also joining the Air New Zealand Link family, so its seems likely that the new aircraft will be used to replace some of the lower trafficked Air New Zealand 737-200 services, or provide a boost to frequencies.

Mount Cook originally intended to order the ATRs in June, until the French government’s decision to resume nuclear testing in the South Pacific became such an emotive, high profile issue. (Aerospatiale of France builds the ATR series in an equal partnership with Alenia of Italy.)

Resisting calls from angry MPs, Greenpeace and other environment groups to cancel the order, Mount Cook says it was unfortunate that the purchase coincided with the nuclear row, but it must select the aircraft that best serves its purposes to maximise travelling comfort and efficiency while containing operating costs.

The ATR 72 was selected ahead of the Saab 2000 and Jetstream 61, the deal reportedly being clinched by a heavily discounted $US9m unit price.

Rnzaf & Raaf Strengthen Links

Recent talks between the New Zealand and Australian defence ministers have resulted in a commitment to closer links between the RAAF and RNZAF, particularly in the areas of training.

Part of the ministers’ discussions looked at the future role of 2 Squadron RNZAF, which is based at NAS Nowra in NSW and provides anti aircraft training for the RAN (as well as conversion training for the RNZAF to the A-4). Fifty RNZAF personnel and six A-4 Skyhawks are based at Nowra under the current agreement, which expires in July 1996. The Skyhawks currently fly 800 hours per annum in support of RAN training, and Australia hopes to raise this figure to 1200 hours a year.

Another area of cooperation is advanced pilot training. In 1997 a small number of RAAF pilots will do their lead-in fighter training with the RNZAF, with 14 Squadron and its Macchi MB-339Cs.

Kiwi Air Launches Domestic Service, Livery

Kiwi Air International Airlines has announced plans to fly a new joint venture shuttle service from Hamilton to New Plymouth and Hamilton to Gisborne.

Kiwi International has formed Kiwi Shuttle in partnership with Greg Misson of VIP Air. The new operation will fly a 19 seat Embraer Bandeirante and was due to launch services from August 23. The new flights puts Kiwi Regional into direct competition with Air New Zealand Link carrier Eagle Air.

In other news, Kiwi Air International has selected a paint scheme for its leased 737. The livery was designed by two high school students, and was one of 300 submitted. The scheme features a kiwi sitting on top of the world and a New Zealand flag on the tail. Other features of the students’ design includes a cow’s head on the engine nacelles, a silver fern, waves denoting the Tasman sea and high rise buildings representing Sydney and Brisbane, Kiwi’s primary destinations.

The airline’s 737-300, which is leased from Adelaide based National Jet, was due to be painted in the new colours during August, when it is due to begin scheduled trans Tasman flights from Hamilton.

New South African Airlines Commercial Agreement Signed

Air New Zealand and South African Airways have signed a cooperative commercial agreement to develop business opportunities between South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Both ATR and Saab made use of recent aircraft delivery flights to the region to demonstrate their products to NZ airlines. (left) ATR used a delivery flight of this ATR 72 to Air Tahiti to shore up its prospects with Mount Cook, who had postponed its decision to order the ATR 72 in the wake of France’s resumption of nuclear testing in the South Pacific. The decision looked like it had opened the door to Jetstream and Saab. Mount Cook subsequently ordered the ATR 72 (refer text). (right) The first Saab 2000 for Air Marshall Islands also made a brief sales tour of NZ, prior to delivery. The Saab was shown to Mount Cook and Air Nelson, and is pictured here at Christchurch. (Hawker Pacific & Peter Clark) 76 Australian Aviation September 1995

The signing formalises the two airlines’ plans to investigate cooperative opportunities in a number of areas, including joint operations, schedule agreements and streamlined connections at common gateways in Australia and Asia. “Both airlines wish to capitalise on the significant growth potential between South Africa, Australia and New Zealand,” said ANZ Regional General Manager Australia Garry Court.

Arrivals from South Africa to New Zealand increased by 70% in the year to March 1995, while currently around 100,000 people travel from South Africa to Australia and New Zealand per annum.

Caa Reassures Over Nomads

The New Zealand CAA says it is not concerned over the safety of the Australian built GAF Nomad, despite the Australian Army’s intention to retire its fleet.

The Australian Army is the largest Nomad operator in the world with 20 on strength, but it grounded them last year amid concerns over the Nomad’s safety and suitability for military service. A recently completed study into various aspects of the Nomad in Australian military service found that it “may well be suitable and airworthy for civil tasks”, but “the aircraft is not capable of satisfying the military tasks required … because of limitations and restrictions on its operations.”

The CAA says it has had no reports of problems with any of the nine Nomads in civil operations in New Zealand.

Fiji Air Rights Dispute Settles

The long running joust between Fiji and New Zealand about fifth freedom traffic rights through Fiji has appeared to have been settled.

Air New Zealand’s application for a licence to fly from Auckland to Seoul through Nadi had previously been rejected while Fiji fought for what it considered a balanced accord, which would give equal rights for Air Pacific to fly out of New Zealand. A new agreement has reportedly been signed which allows Air New Zealand to fly to Korea through Fiji, and allows Air Pacific to fly from Auckland to Honolulu and Vancouver.

Rnzaf Fokkers Sold

The RNZAF has finally been able to sell its three Fokker F27 Friendships that have been in storage for several years.

The three F27s, plus associated spares, were bought by Laoag International Airlines, of the Philippines in July. The 35 year old Fokkers were test flown in mid July before their long delivery flights north.

The Friendships were used as navigation trainers, but became surplus when the RNZAF transferred its navigator training to the RAAF.

For further information or application forms contact: Greg Clynick Department of Aviation The University of New South Wales Sydney 2052 Tel: (02) 385 5756 Fax: (02) 663 1222 UNSW AVIATION THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES

Briefs

New Zealand company Communicado has won a multimillion dollar five year contract to produce all inflight entertainment programming on all Continental Airlines flights. The initial contract covers providing two 90 minute programmes every two months for screening in business and economy class.

Auckland Museum staff have dismantled their Mitsubishi Zero in preparation for a three month restoration due to begin in 12 months time. The wings and the fuselage of the Zero have been moved to another gallery and are currently on display alongside the Museum’s Spitfire. The Zero is expected to be returned to permanent display in early 1997.

At time of writing the Matamata Piako District Council look set to approve a plan to allow a Hamilton based topdressing company to land its aircraft on quiet backroads. Super Air’s operations in the district have been hindered by months of wet weather which has left much of its usual landing sites waterlogged and unusable. Potential sites have been scouted and if the plan is approved cars would have to give way to landing aircraft.

A recent Queenstown Lakes District Council decision allows for an extension in the air noise boundary at the western end of the Queenstown Airport runway, allowing a planned increase in large aircraft movements through to 2010 to more than twice the current rate (from 14 to 32 aircraft).

For the past 12 months volunteers have been restoring an ex NAC Viscount in Air New Zealand’s paint hangar at the airline’s Christchurch maintenance base. The historic airliner has been on permanent loan to the Ferrymead Historic Park since 1975, and Air New Zealand has agreed to perform work on a no cost basis, on the provision that the Park construct suitable protective housing. Restoration work is due to be completed in 1997.