Traffic

787-9 VH-ZNH Great Barrier Reef made its maiden flight on November 4 from Paine Field to Moses Lake and return. The following day it was ferried to Portland where it was painted in Qantas colours. VH-ZNH was delivered to Melbourne on November 22 after operating QF6026 from Paine Field and entered service with Qantas on November 28 when it operated QF9 from Melbourne to Perth and London Heathrow.

A380-842 VH-OQD was ferried from Sydney to Dubai as QF6011 on November 7 for painting in the silver roo livery and then ferried from Dubai to Sydney as QF6012 on November 25.

747-438ER VH-OEI, which had been in Hong Kong for planned maintenance since October 5 (Traffic/December), returned to Sydney as QF6016 on November 16.

747-438ER VH-OEJ operated a charter to Antarctica on November 25 with the aircraft as QF2902 routed from Melbourne to overhead Antarctica before returning to Hobart.

Qantas/Jetconnect withdrew 737-838 ZK-ZQH from service on November 9 after the aircraft operated QF120 from Auckland to Brisbane. The same day ZK‑ZQH was cancelled from the New Zealand register with the aircraft then registered VH-VZQ to Qantas on November 12. It then entered service with Qantas on November 28 when it operated QF798 from Brisbane to Cairns.

737-838 ZK-ZQG, which was withdrawn from Qantas/ Jetconnect service on October 31 (Traffic/December), was then registered VH-VYZ on October 31. Now named Torquay, VH-VYZ entered service on November 16 when it operated QF573 from Brisbane to Perth.

737-838 VH-VZI (Traffic/ December), which was painted in the silver roo livery in Townsville, returned to service with Qantas on November 6 when it operated QF969 from Townsville to Brisbane.

Also for painting in the silver roo livery at Townsville’s Flying Colours were QantasLink Dash 8-Q402 VH-QOS, which operated QLK2315 from Cairns on November 1, and Dash 8-Q402 VH-QOT Parramatta which operated QLK2475 from Mount Isa on November 11. VH-QOS returned to service on November 14 when it operated QLK2308 from Townsville to Cairns, and VH-QOT on November 26 when it operated QLK670 from Townsville to Brisbane.

Jetstar Japan announced on November 28 that it had ordered three A321LR aircraft.

Weststar Aviation Services 767‑238ER 2-TSSA arrived at Perth from Subang on December 6. This aircraft, once registered VH-EAQ and operated by Qantas between September 1 1987 and October 7 2004, left Perth for Subang on December 9.

Platinum Services 727-76 2-MMTT ferried from Basel to Kemble, Gloucestershire on December 7 for parting out and scrapping. This aircraft was operated by Trans Australia Airlines between August 13 1966 and March 31 1979 as VH-TJD.

Airline News

In this issue we report the delivery of Air New Zealand’s second and third A321neo aircraft.

ZK-NNA msn 8496, which was delivered to Auckland on November 5 (Traffic/December), entered service on November 23 when it operated NZ739 from Auckland to Brisbane.

ZK-NNB msn 8542 then registered D-AVZU made its maiden flight from Finkenwerder, Germany on November 21 and was registered on December 1 before being delivered to Auckland as NZ6091 on December 5 after ferrying in via Muscat, Kuala Lumpur and Cairns.

A321neo ZK-NNC msn 8573, registered on December 7, was delivered to Air New Zealand in Auckland on December 11 as NZ6092. The ferry took the same route as ZK-NNB.

A321neo ZK-NND msn 8629 is scheduled for delivery to Air New Zealand in January.

A320-232 ZK-OJG was withdrawn from Air New Zealand service on November 15 after operating NZ804 from Brisbane to Christchurch.

787-9 ZK-NZM, which was grounded in Auckland on September 15 due to engine problems, returned to service on December 8 when it operated NZ284 from Auckland to Singapore.

The airline also began a three times weekly return service from Auckland to Chicago on November 30 with 787-9 ZK-NZL operating the inaugural NZ26.

Air New Zealand Link/ Mount Cook, which withdrew ATR 72‑500 ZK-MCB from service on July 15 (Traffic/September), test flew the aircraft from Christchurch on November 15.

ATR 72-500 ZK-MCO was withdrawn from service on October 29 after operating NZ5189 from Palmerston North to Christchurch. It was then ferried the same day as NZ5972 to Nelson for maintenance with ANZ Regional.

Air Niugini terminated its lease on Icelandair 757-256 TF‑LLX on November 26 after it operated ANG2 from Sydney to Port Moresby. The aircraft had entered service with Air Niugini on November 9 to cover the loss of 737-8BK P2-PXE at Chuuk on September 28 (Traffic/November). TF-LLX as ICE8918 departed Port Moresby on November 28 for Honolulu, Seattle and Keflavik where it arrived on November 30.

Alliance Airlines took delivery of Fokker 100 VH-UQN msn 11361, formerly OE-LVM, at Brisbane on November 26 after the aircraft arrived from Norwich, UK. Carrying Alliance livery, it was ferried by Southern Cross as SXI 1829 and routed via Samsun in Turkey, Al Ain, Nagpur, Subang, Kupang and Townsville.

Fokker 70 VH-NUV msn 11554, formerly OE-LFH, was registered to Alliance on November 14 and was noted at Norwich on November 17 as VH-NUV still carrying basic Austrian colours.

Fokker 50 VH-FKZ, which ferried from Brisbane to Seletar in early October (Traffic/ December), returned to Adelaide on December 2 as SXI 1836 after completing its planned maintenance.

Fiji Airways took delivery of the first 737-MAX 8 in the South Pacific at Nadi on December 3 after DQ-FAB Island of Kadavu msn 64307 arrived from Seattle/ Boeing Field via Honolulu as FJI2001.

737 MAX 8 DQ-FAD msn 64308 was scheduled for delivery to Fiji Airways in January.

737-7X2 DQ-FJF as FJI2003 ferried from Nadi to Cairns and Seletar on October 30 for planned maintenance before returning to Nadi on November 16 from Seletar via Brisbane as FJI2004.

Pacific Air Express took delivery of 757-225(PCF) VH‑PQA at Brisbane on November 28 after the aircraft ferried in from Christchurch as PCF1. The 757, then registered N315ST, had been under maintenance at Christchurch since arriving there from the United States on March 12 2018 (Traffic/ May). VH‑PQA operated flight PCF2 from Brisbane to Hobart on November 30 and PCF5 from Hobart to Brisbane on December 1.

Virgin Group News

Virgin Australia ferried A320-231 VH-FNP as VOZ9940 from Perth to Seletar on November 25 for planned maintenance.

E190-100IGW VH-ZPI, which departed Brisbane on ferry to Nashville on April 4 2017 has finally found a new home. On November 5 it was ferried from Nashville to Lake Charles where it was painted in the colours of BA Cityflyer. Now registered EI-GHK it was ferried from Lake Charles to Bangor, Maine and Dublin on November 16 where Stobart Air began operations with the aircraft on behalf of BA.

ATR 72-600 VH-FVR, which had been in storage at Nelson, ferried to Canberra as VOZ9947 on November 22 and returned to service with Virgin on November 25, operating VOZ629 from Canberra to Sydney.

ATR 72-600 VH-FVY as VOZ9948 was ferried from Canberra to Nelson on November 23.

Tigerair ferried A320-232 VH-VNH as TGG9002 from Melbourne to Darwin and Singapore on November 26 for planned maintenance, while A320‑232 VH-VNP as TGG9003 ferried back from Singapore to Perth on November 26 after maintenance.

Regional News

Regional Express took delivery of Saab 340B VH-ZPA msn 340B-410 at Wagga Wagga on November 24 after the aircraft ferried in from Anchorage via Hilo, Apia and Brisbane. Previously operated by Pen Air as N410XJ the Saab was delivered to Regional Express in Pen Air’s attractive colour scheme.

Corporate Air placed into service by the end of November Saab 340B VH-VEF which it took delivery of on August 10 (Traffic/ October). Aircalin DHC-6-300 F-OIAQ as ACI8350 arrived at Cairns from Port Moresby on September 1 and after maintenance with Skytek it was noted at Cairns on December 2 now carrying the registration H4-MAX. It left Cairns for Gurney on December 6.

Air Marshall Islands Dash 8-102 V7-0210, which arrived at Cairns from Port Moresby for maintenance on August 14, was still in residence in early December.

Air Vanuatu ATR 72-600 YJ-AV73 as AVN690 arrived at Christchurch for maintenance on November 4 before returning to Port Vila from Christchurch as AVN691 on November 16.

Hevilift ATR 72-500 VH-FVH has completed its maintenance in Cairns and on December 8 ferried to Brisbane as HT1.

Pacific Island Air of Namaka, Fiji added former Mount Cook BN-2A-26 ZK-DBV to its fleet on November 15 after it was delivered to Nadi from Kerikeri.

BN-2A-26s ZK-MCD and ZK‑MCE had their ownership changed from Mount Cook to Pacific Island Air on October 18. Tropicair ferried King Air B200 P2-MAX from Cairns to Redcliffe on October 20 for planned maintenance.

Tropicair King Air C90A P2-DRS, which ferried from Port Moresby to Cairns on October 13, was registered VH‑ILQ on November 1 to Moorabbin Aviation Services.

Bizjet News

In this issue we report the delivery of four bizjets: a Falcon 50, Learjet 60, Citation M2 and a Pilatus PC‑24. Departures were a Gulfstream 450 and a Citation Mustang. In propjet news we report the delivery of a King Air B300.

Falcon 50EX N115MF msn 330, which was registered to the Delaware Trust of Wilmington, Delaware, has been delivered to a New Zealand operator. It arrived at Wellington on November 23 from St Louis Regional airport via Monterey, Honolulu and Apia.

Learjet 60 N841TP msn 60‑031, which was registered to Five Daughters California of Newark, Delaware was cancelled from the US register on November 5 when sold in Australia and registered VH-ILJ on November 15, with the owner Avgunn of Hamilton, Qld and the operator Avcair of Lake Cathie, NSW. As of early December there were no reports of VH-ILJ being delivered.

Citation M2 VH-JSO, which was registered to VH-JSO P/L of East Albury, NSW on November 1, was delivered to Albury on November 9 after the aircraft ferried in from Denpasar, Broome and Ayers Rock.

Pilatus PC-24 VH-VWO msn 105, the first of its type on the Australian register, was handed over to the Royal Flying Doctor Service Western Operations at Stans, Switzerland on November 26. It was delivered to Jandakot on December 3 after ferrying via Larnaca, Al Maktoum, Chennai, Seletar and Broome (see feature elsewhere this issue – Ed).

Gulfstream 450 VH-MBP, which was operated by Marcplan Charter of Essendon Fields, has been sold in the United States. VH-MBP was cancelled from the Australian register on November 21 and had earlier departed Essendon on September 19 for Nadi, Honolulu, San Diego (Brown Field) and Savannah, Georgia where it was registered N14717 on November 21 to the Delaware Trust Company of Wilmington, Delaware.

Citation Mustang N890LG, which has been resident in New Zealand since October 2016, has returned to the United States. It left Auckland on November 9 for Norfolk Island, the Gold Coast and Cairns before following the North Pacific ferry route to Anchorage. Final stop in the US was Mt Sterling, Kentucky where it arrived on November 14.

Although not a delivery flight we should mention that Citation II OY-ERY msn 550-0469 arrived at Ayers Rock from Denpasar and Broome on November 20 before continuing to Narromine and Sydney on November 23. It departed Sydney for Queenstown on November 26 before continuing to Auckland and Nadi on November 30.

In propjet news, King Air B300 D-CKWM msn FL-756 was cancelled from the German register on October 29 after being exported to Fiji. Later registered DQ-LIG, it arrived at Laucala Island on November 11 from Biak and Honiara.

RNZAF King Air B200 NZ7121 msn BB-1847 was registered ZK‑KHP to Hawker Pacific of Bulls, New Zealand on November 6 and then registered VH-VJW to Hawker Pacific of Wetherill Park, NSW on November 28. On the same dates, RNZAF King Air B200 NZ7123 msn BB-1945 was registered ZKMHP to Hawker Pacific of Bulls and then registered VH-VJY to Hawker Pacific of Wetherill Park.

Further King Air B200 changes involved the RNZAF’s NZ7122 msn BB-1944 and NZ7124 msn BB-1949. The former was registered ZK-DHP and the latter ZK-PHP, both to Hawker Pacific of Bulls on November 6. King Air B300 VH-EID msn FL-1114, which was imported into Cairns on October 1 as N1114S, was registered to Hawker Pacific on October 29.

King Air 350i VH-ZPE msn FL‑1017 was delivered to the RNZAF at Ohakea on November 11 after ferrying in from Bankstown and Sydney. It was then cancelled from the register on November 29 on its export to the RNZAF as NZ2353. Similarly, King Air 350i VH-ZPF msn FL‑897 was delivered to the RNZAF on November 19 after ferrying on the same route. It was cancelled from the register on November 29 on its export to the RNZAF as NZ2350.

Ferry Flights

AT-802A N1001H msn 0775 arrived at Jandakot on November 15 from Olney, Texas with the ferry flight which was operated by Hazair of Albury routed from Santa Maria/ California via Honolulu, Majuro, Honiara, Gold Coast and Moree. It was then registered to Dunn Aviation of Jandakot as VH-FCO on November 28.

Skysource Aviation Beech 1900C N119WF msn UC‑132 was delivered to Essendon on November 20 from Darwin and Alice Springs. The aircraft started its ferry flight on November 13 from Billings, Montana and initially transited Hillsboro, Juneau, Anchorage, Adak and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky before arriving in Darwin from Manado on November 18.

Cessna 208 N611MF msn 20800613 in company with Cessna 208 N615MF msn 20800615 were delivered to the Mission Aviation Fellowship at Mareeba on November 14 after terminating their ferry from Wichita via Santa Maria, Hilo, Majuro and Cairns.

Cessna 208B N614MF msn 20800614, which was also on delivery to the Mission Aviation Fellowship, was delivered to Mareeba on December 3 from Santa Maria, Hilo, Majuro, Honiara and Cairns. Cessna 208B/EX N20678 msn 208B5472 arrived at Sydney on November 26 after ferrying in from Wichita via Santa Maria, Honolulu, Majuro and Noumea. Textron Aviation Cessna 208B/ EX N5420C (Traffic/December) departed Cairns on November 25 for Normanton and Darwin before continuing to Kupang on November 27.

Avcair Cessna 404 VH-ZUI, which departed the Gold Coast for Auckland on June 29, was cancelled from the register on November 9 when sold in New Zealand as ZK-SVI to Total Entertainment Consultants of Devonport.

Cessna 210L N2160S has been on a round-the-world flight, arriving in Darwin from Halim on November 16 before continuing to Cairns on November 18 and Nadi on November 21.

Colbran Coffeelands Cessna T182T P2-CCL arrived Cairns from Port Moresby on October 27. Cessna A185F VH-MDY departed Albury on November 2 for Taree and Lord Howe Island and after overnighting continued to Norfolk Island it was registered to a private owner at Geraldine, New Zealand.

Cirrus SR22 VH-EDH formerly ZK-CNZ departed Fielding for Kerikeri and Norfolk Island on October 27 before continuing the following day to Lord Howe Island, Gold Coast and Caloundra.

DA-42 VH-IUU arrived at the Gold Coast on November 6 after ferrying across the Pacific from Hollister via Hilo, Pago Pago and Norfolk Island. On November 9 the DA-42 continued to Wagga Wagga and Moorabbin.

Cresco 08-600 VH-WKD departed Wollongong on November 10 for Norfolk Island, Auckland and Napier where it was registered ZK-OAN to a private owner at Mosgeil, New Zealand on November 21.

There has been plenty of activity with Airvan 8s.

VH-EHS, which arrived at Nelson on October 31 (Traffic/ December), was registered ZK‑EHS to the Kaikoura Aero Club on November 14.

Airvan 8 VH-CCI, which arrived at Queenstown on October 20 (Traffic/December), was registered ZK-WMF to Southern Alps Air of Wanaka on November 7.

West Australian Skydiving Academy Airvan 8 VH-BYI departed Latrobe Valley for the Gold Coast and Nadi on November 28.

Airvan 8 VH-BNG msn GA8‑18-248 was registered to Gippsaero of Morwell on November 27, while Airvan 8 B-10MS msn GA8-16-225 was displayed at the Zhuhai Airshow by General Aviation of Guangdong.

Also on display at the Zhuhai Airshow was PAC 750XL B-104V msn 215 by Pacific Aerospace.

PA-24-250 ZK-BAZ, which had been in Australia since mid-September, departed Port Macquarie for Lord Howe Island, Auckland and Taupo on November 20.

Socata TB-20 Trinidad VH‑KMY departed Bankstown on November 12 for Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, Auckland and Tauranga where it arrived on November 14.

Heavy Metal

AirAsia X transferred its Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne flights from Tullamarine to Avalon on December 5 with A330-343 9M-XBA operating the inaugural XAX218/219.

Antonov Airlines An-124 UR‑82007 as ADB2650 arrived at Avalon from Chittagong on November 24 and departed for Johor Bahru as ADB250F on November 25.

Antonov Airlines An-124 UR-82029 arrived in Brisbane from Johor Baru as ADB258F on November 7 before continuing to Auckland as ADB2558. It departed Auckland for Brisbane as ADB260F on November 7.

Volga Dnepr An-124 RA‑82044 as VDA1119 arrived at Rockhampton from Dhaka on November 4 before departing to Darwin and Paya Lebar as VDA1120 on November 4. It returned to Darwin from Singapore as VDA1320 in the early hours of November 8.

Antonov Airlines An-124 UR-82072 arrived in Brisbane from Jakarta as ADB257F on November 7 before continuing to Auckland as ADB2557. The same day UR-82072 departed Auckland for Brisbane as ADB2559.

Air India 747-437 VT-EVB arrived in Sydney from Hanoi on November 20 before continuing to Melbourne on November 23. It departed Melbourne for Singapore the following day.

JASDF 777-3SB/ER 80-1111 as JF1111 operated a training flight into Sydney from Haneda on November 4 before departing as JF1111 to Chitose air base on November 5.

US Air Force KC-135R 62‑3518 callsign ‘Lulu 23’ arrived in Sydney from Guam on November 11 in company with KC-135R 64-14837 callsign ‘Lulu 24’. The former departed Sydney for Guam on November 14 with 64-14837 following on November 15.

ABS Jets 737-7HZ/BBJ P4-NGK arrived at Perth from Christchurch on November 16 before continuing to Dubai on November 17.

737-7EG/BBJ N881SG arrived at Perth from Halim on November 11 and after overnighting departed to Ujung Pandang.

Sands Corporation 737-74U/ BBJ N887LS departed the Gold Coast for Subang on November 18. ERJ-135BJ VN-A268 arrived at Darwin from Saigon on November 18 before continuing to Sydney on November 19. It left for Cairns and Saigon on November 30.

RAAF AP-3C A9-664 was registered N664SD to MHD Rockland Services of Starke Florida on November 6 before being ferried from Edinburgh to Avalon as ‘Striker 01’ on November 12. It departed Avalon on November 16 for Pago Pago, Kona and Keystone Airpark in Florida.