Air Nelson
Encyclopedia
Air Nelson, a subsidiary
of Air New Zealand
is a regional airline
based in Nelson, New Zealand
. It operates services on provincial routes under the Air New Zealand Link
brand. Its main base is Nelson Airport
, with hubs at Auckland
, Napier
, New Plymouth
, Wellington
, Tauranga
and Christchurch
.
The airline operates one type of aircraft, the 50 seat Bombardier Q300. This has allowed parent company, Air New Zealand to provide an intensive regional air service that cannot be sustained with regional jet types of this size. Until 2008, Air Nelson operated the 33-seat Saab 340
that took over provincial Fokker F27
services by Air New Zealand in 1990.
Air Nelson Q300s wear the Air New Zealand
livery and operate from Kerikeri in the far north of the North Island to Invercargill in the far south of the South Island.
As a small commuter airline, Air Nelson operated in the top half of the South Island linking Nelson and Wellington with up to half-hourly services. Also providing isolated towns such as Takaka and Motueka with a convenient safe service to the outside world. During this time aircraft ranged in type from - Piper PA-31 Navajo
, Fairchild Metro
, and Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante
.
Growth
In 1986, Air New Zealand announced it would start to scale back its Fokker F27 operations and smaller regional centres were the first affected. Air Nelson aircraft immediately replaced the F27 on those routes. Air Nelson grew their network at the same time and started operating non-stop service to Auckland, complementing F27 services. Air New Zealand also purchased a stake in Air Nelson (and Eagle Airway) to secure the airline's support when deregulation saw the arrival of Ansett Airways.
Saab 340
1990 was a significant year for Air Nelson as in August that year, Air New Zealand suspended all F27 services. Air Nelson responded by introducing a popular type, the Saab 340. Up until 1992, the Saab 340 wore Air Nelson colours, but when Air New Zealand bought the airline outright (having also taken over Eagle Airways and Mount Cook Airlines), all Air Nelson's fleet wore Air New Zealand's 'Link' livery.
The Saab fleet soon grew to one of the largest in the world at that time and Air Nelson divested itself of its smaller aircraft operating only the Saab. This was in line with the policy of parent company Air New Zealand's desire to rationalising the overall cost of fleet maintenance. Eagle Airways soon operated a fleet of Beechcraft 1900
Ds, while Mount Cook Airlines operated the ATR 72
-500.
During October 2004 the airline announced that it was replacing its fleet of seventeen Saab 340As with seventeen Bombardier Dash 8 Q300 aircraft, with options for another ten Dash 8 Q300 and thirteen Dash 8 Q400 aircraft although the latter aircraft options have been dropped. The last Saab 340A aircraft had been withdrawn from service by the end of 2007. The company now has 23 Dash 8 Q300 aircraft. Air Nelson is the largest singular operator of the Q300 outside Canada.
New Services and Expansion
Now considered the main subsidiary of the regional domestic air fleet, Air Nelson is used as the provincial face of Air New Zealand.
The increase in fleet size allowed for Air New Zealand to start pioneering longer distant provincial routes which were considered sustainable with a 50 seat aircraft, such as Wellington - Invercargill, New Plymouth - Christchurch, and Tauranga - Christchurch. Air New Zealand has also used the Q300 to ramp up a more intensive high-frequency regional service allowing more departure choices. A new route, Paraparaumu
–Auckland
started on Labour Weekend, October 2011. It was contingent on Paraparaumu Airport's new temporary terminal being completed and runway refurbished. Issues with re-manning the control tower caused a major delay. This new route was due to begin in 2009 .
The Hokitika - Christchurch route joined the Air Nelson network as a result of the Pike River coal mine disaster in November 2010 when Air New Zealand added capacity to the Westland town. This became permanent in February 2011 when subsidiary operator, Air National
was grounded by the NZCAA due to irregularities with operating practises. The larger aircraft has proved popular on peak services to the West Coast airport which also serves the town of Greymouth.
The Future
Bombardier
has ceased building turboprop aircraft apart from the larger Q400, choosing to focus on its Regional Jet family and upcoming C-Series twinjets. This has left Air Nelson with the only option of purchasing the Q400 or low-houred secondhand Q300 types. In March 2010, Air New Zealand
suspended the option for Air Nelson to take up purchase rights of the higher speed 70-seat Q400, fearing an interservice rivalry with the slower ATR 72-500s of Mount Cook Airline
. Air Nelson had hoped to pioneer a long distant turboprop service connecting Invercargill - Auckland or Rotorua - Queenstown nonstop as the economical high-speed Q400 would have allowed.
Bombardier has announced the development of the Q400X, a stretched 90 - 100 seat development of the Q400. Air New Zealand has taken an interest in this development as the need for a fast turboprop of this size will be needed to enhance provincial routes within the next five years. Bombardier expects the first of this new airliner will be flying by 2013-14.
In April 2010, parent company Air New Zealand
, in a surprise announcement, transferred heavy maintenance of Mount Cook Airline
's ATR 72-500 fleet to Air Nelson's new facilities in its hometown of Nelson. This was caused by the need for more room at the parent company's maintenance base at Christchurch Airport to allow the expansion of the IAE and Pratt and Whitney engine care centre. This also allowed the closure of the minor turbo prop department at the Safe Air maintenance facilities in Blenhiem, with staff being transferred to Nelson.
Subsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
of Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
is a regional airline
Regional airline
Regional airlines are airlines that operate regional aircraft to provide passenger air service to communities without sufficient demand to attract mainline service...
based in Nelson, New Zealand
Nelson, New Zealand
Nelson is a city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay, and is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson-Tasman region. Established in 1841, it is the second oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island....
. It operates services on provincial routes under the Air New Zealand Link
Air New Zealand Link
Air New Zealand Link is a brand name under which three regional airlines operate feeder flights for Air New Zealand. They primarily connect regional centers with New Zealand's three main international airports.-History:...
brand. Its main base is Nelson Airport
Nelson Airport
Nelson Airport, , is located in Nelson, British Columbia, Canada. It is located along the coast of Kootenay Lake, in a narrow, mountainous valley. The airfield is several blocks from downtown Nelson. This airport is distinct from Fort Nelson Airport in Fort Nelson, in the northeast corner of...
, with hubs at Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, Napier
Napier, New Zealand
Napier is a New Zealand city with a seaport, located in Hawke's Bay on the eastern coast of the North Island. The population of Napier is about About 18 kilometres south of Napier is the inland city of Hastings. These two neighboring cities are often called "The Twin Cities" or "The Bay Cities"...
, New Plymouth
New Plymouth
New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers migrated....
, Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, Tauranga
Tauranga
Tauranga is the most populous city in the Bay of Plenty region, in the North Island of New Zealand.It was settled by Europeans in the early 19th century and was constituted as a city in 1963...
and Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
.
The airline operates one type of aircraft, the 50 seat Bombardier Q300. This has allowed parent company, Air New Zealand to provide an intensive regional air service that cannot be sustained with regional jet types of this size. Until 2008, Air Nelson operated the 33-seat Saab 340
Saab 340
The Saab 340 is a discontinued Swedish two-engine turboprop aircraft designed and initially produced by a partnership between Saab and Fairchild Aircraft in a 65:35 ratio...
that took over provincial Fokker F27
Fokker F27
The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner...
services by Air New Zealand in 1990.
Air Nelson Q300s wear the Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
livery and operate from Kerikeri in the far north of the North Island to Invercargill in the far south of the South Island.
History
The airline was established and started operations in 1979. It was founded by Robert Inglis and Nicki Smith who later sold the airline to Air New Zealand. It has 417 employees (at March 2007).As a small commuter airline, Air Nelson operated in the top half of the South Island linking Nelson and Wellington with up to half-hourly services. Also providing isolated towns such as Takaka and Motueka with a convenient safe service to the outside world. During this time aircraft ranged in type from - Piper PA-31 Navajo
Piper PA-31 Navajo
The Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of cabin-class, twin-engine aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft for the general aviation market, most using Lycoming engines. It was also licence-built in a number of Latin American countries. Targeted at small-scale cargo and feeder liner operations and...
, Fairchild Metro
Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner
The Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner or the Fairchild Aerospace Metro is a 19-seat, pressurised, twin turboprop airliner first produced by Swearingen Aircraft and later by Fairchild at a plant in San Antonio, Texas, United States....
, and Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante
Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante
The Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante is a general purpose 15-21 passenger twin-turboprop light transport aircraft suitable for military and civil duties...
.
Growth
In 1986, Air New Zealand announced it would start to scale back its Fokker F27 operations and smaller regional centres were the first affected. Air Nelson aircraft immediately replaced the F27 on those routes. Air Nelson grew their network at the same time and started operating non-stop service to Auckland, complementing F27 services. Air New Zealand also purchased a stake in Air Nelson (and Eagle Airway) to secure the airline's support when deregulation saw the arrival of Ansett Airways.
Destinations
Air Nelson serve the following as of March 2011:| Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... |
Blenheim Blenheim, New Zealand Blenheim is the most populous town in the region of Marlborough, in the north east of the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the regional council. It has a population of The area which surrounds the town is well known as a centre of New Zealand's wine industry... , Gisborne, Kerikeri Kerikeri Kerikeri, the largest town in the Northland Region of New Zealand, is a popular tourist destination about three hours drive north of Auckland, and 80 km north of Whangarei... , Napier Napier -People:* Napier * John Napier -Australia:* Electoral district of Napier, a state electoral district in South Australia* Mount Napier, a dormant volcano in Victoria... , Nelson Nelson, New Zealand Nelson is a city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay, and is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson-Tasman region. Established in 1841, it is the second oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island.... , New Plymouth New Plymouth New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers migrated.... , Palmerston North Palmerston North Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is an inland city with a population of and is the country's seventh largest city and eighth largest urban area. Palmerston North is located in the eastern Manawatu Plains near the north bank... , Paraparaumu Paraparaumu Paraparaumu is a town in the south-western North Island of New Zealand. It lies in the Kapiti Coast, 50 kilometres north of the nation's capital city, Wellington.... , Tauranga Tauranga Tauranga is the most populous city in the Bay of Plenty region, in the North Island of New Zealand.It was settled by Europeans in the early 19th century and was constituted as a city in 1963... |
Christchurch Christchurch Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of... |
Dunedin Dunedin Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until... , Hamilton Hamilton, New Zealand Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland... , Hokitika Hokitika, New Zealand Hokitika is a township in the West Coast Region of New Zealand's South Island, south of Greymouth, and close to the mouth of the Hokitika River. According to the 2006 census, the usually resident population of the Hokitika urban area was 3,078, a decrease of 12 people since 2001. A further 828... , Invercargill Invercargill Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff,... , Napier Napier -People:* Napier * John Napier -Australia:* Electoral district of Napier, a state electoral district in South Australia* Mount Napier, a dormant volcano in Victoria... , Nelson Nelson, New Zealand Nelson is a city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay, and is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson-Tasman region. Established in 1841, it is the second oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island.... , New Plymouth New Plymouth New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers migrated.... , Palmerston North Palmerston North Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is an inland city with a population of and is the country's seventh largest city and eighth largest urban area. Palmerston North is located in the eastern Manawatu Plains near the north bank... , Tauranga Tauranga Tauranga is the most populous city in the Bay of Plenty region, in the North Island of New Zealand.It was settled by Europeans in the early 19th century and was constituted as a city in 1963... |
Wellington Wellington Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range... |
Dunedin Dunedin Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until... , Hamilton Hamilton, New Zealand Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland... , Invercargill Invercargill Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff,... , Napier Napier -People:* Napier * John Napier -Australia:* Electoral district of Napier, a state electoral district in South Australia* Mount Napier, a dormant volcano in Victoria... , Nelson Nelson, New Zealand Nelson is a city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay, and is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson-Tasman region. Established in 1841, it is the second oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island.... , New Plymouth New Plymouth New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers migrated.... , Rotorua Rotorua Rotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing the city and several other nearby towns... , Tauranga Tauranga Tauranga is the most populous city in the Bay of Plenty region, in the North Island of New Zealand.It was settled by Europeans in the early 19th century and was constituted as a city in 1963... |
New Era
1990 was a significant year for Air Nelson as in August that year, Air New Zealand suspended all F27 services. Air Nelson responded by introducing a popular type, the Saab 340. Up until 1992, the Saab 340 wore Air Nelson colours, but when Air New Zealand bought the airline outright (having also taken over Eagle Airways and Mount Cook Airlines), all Air Nelson's fleet wore Air New Zealand's 'Link' livery.
The Saab fleet soon grew to one of the largest in the world at that time and Air Nelson divested itself of its smaller aircraft operating only the Saab. This was in line with the policy of parent company Air New Zealand's desire to rationalising the overall cost of fleet maintenance. Eagle Airways soon operated a fleet of Beechcraft 1900
Beechcraft 1900
The Beechcraft 1900 is a 19-passenger, pressurized twin-engine turboprop airplane manufactured by the Beechcraft Division of the Raytheon Company . It was designed, and is primarily used, as a regional airliner...
Ds, while Mount Cook Airlines operated the ATR 72
ATR 72
The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop short-haul regional airliner built by the French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR. ATR and Airbus are both built in Toulouse, and share resources and technology...
-500.
Larger Aircraft
Bombardier Q300During October 2004 the airline announced that it was replacing its fleet of seventeen Saab 340As with seventeen Bombardier Dash 8 Q300 aircraft, with options for another ten Dash 8 Q300 and thirteen Dash 8 Q400 aircraft although the latter aircraft options have been dropped. The last Saab 340A aircraft had been withdrawn from service by the end of 2007. The company now has 23 Dash 8 Q300 aircraft. Air Nelson is the largest singular operator of the Q300 outside Canada.
New Services and Expansion
Now considered the main subsidiary of the regional domestic air fleet, Air Nelson is used as the provincial face of Air New Zealand.
The increase in fleet size allowed for Air New Zealand to start pioneering longer distant provincial routes which were considered sustainable with a 50 seat aircraft, such as Wellington - Invercargill, New Plymouth - Christchurch, and Tauranga - Christchurch. Air New Zealand has also used the Q300 to ramp up a more intensive high-frequency regional service allowing more departure choices. A new route, Paraparaumu
Paraparaumu
Paraparaumu is a town in the south-western North Island of New Zealand. It lies in the Kapiti Coast, 50 kilometres north of the nation's capital city, Wellington....
–Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
started on Labour Weekend, October 2011. It was contingent on Paraparaumu Airport's new temporary terminal being completed and runway refurbished. Issues with re-manning the control tower caused a major delay. This new route was due to begin in 2009 .
The Hokitika - Christchurch route joined the Air Nelson network as a result of the Pike River coal mine disaster in November 2010 when Air New Zealand added capacity to the Westland town. This became permanent in February 2011 when subsidiary operator, Air National
Air National
Air National is an airline based in Auckland, New Zealand. It operates domestic and international charter services and scheduled passenger services for Air New Zealand Link. Its main bases are Auckland International Airport, Wellington International Airport, with a hub at Christchurch International...
was grounded by the NZCAA due to irregularities with operating practises. The larger aircraft has proved popular on peak services to the West Coast airport which also serves the town of Greymouth.
The Future
Bombardier
Bombardier Aerospace
Bombardier Aerospace is a division of Bombardier Inc. and is the third-largest airplane manufacturer in the world. It is headquartered in Dorval, Quebec, Canada.- History :...
has ceased building turboprop aircraft apart from the larger Q400, choosing to focus on its Regional Jet family and upcoming C-Series twinjets. This has left Air Nelson with the only option of purchasing the Q400 or low-houred secondhand Q300 types. In March 2010, Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
suspended the option for Air Nelson to take up purchase rights of the higher speed 70-seat Q400, fearing an interservice rivalry with the slower ATR 72-500s of Mount Cook Airline
Mount Cook Airline
Mount Cook Airline is an airline based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is wholly owned by Air New Zealand and operates scheduled services throughout the country under the Air New Zealand Link brand...
. Air Nelson had hoped to pioneer a long distant turboprop service connecting Invercargill - Auckland or Rotorua - Queenstown nonstop as the economical high-speed Q400 would have allowed.
Bombardier has announced the development of the Q400X, a stretched 90 - 100 seat development of the Q400. Air New Zealand has taken an interest in this development as the need for a fast turboprop of this size will be needed to enhance provincial routes within the next five years. Bombardier expects the first of this new airliner will be flying by 2013-14.
In April 2010, parent company Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
, in a surprise announcement, transferred heavy maintenance of Mount Cook Airline
Mount Cook Airline
Mount Cook Airline is an airline based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is wholly owned by Air New Zealand and operates scheduled services throughout the country under the Air New Zealand Link brand...
's ATR 72-500 fleet to Air Nelson's new facilities in its hometown of Nelson. This was caused by the need for more room at the parent company's maintenance base at Christchurch Airport to allow the expansion of the IAE and Pratt and Whitney engine care centre. This also allowed the closure of the minor turbo prop department at the Safe Air maintenance facilities in Blenhiem, with staff being transferred to Nelson.
Fleet
| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Passengers (Economy) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bombardier DHC-8-Q300 | 23 | 0 | 50 |
Accidents
- On 30 September 2010, Air New ZealandAir New ZealandAir New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
subsidiary Air Nelson Flight 8841 was flying from Wellington International AirportWellington International AirportWellington International Airport is an international airport located in the suburb of Rongotai in Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. It is a secondary hub and focus city for Air New Zealand and its subsidiaries...
to Nelson AirportNelson Airport (New Zealand)Nelson Airport is an airport in Nelson, New Zealand. Approximately 1.2 million passengers and visitors are said to use the airport terminal annually. Total passenger numbers for the 2011 financial year were 758,250. This represents passenger growth of approximately 11% on the previous...
but was diverted to BlenheimBlenheim, New ZealandBlenheim is the most populous town in the region of Marlborough, in the north east of the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the regional council. It has a population of The area which surrounds the town is well known as a centre of New Zealand's wine industry...
due to bad weather in Nelson. On landing, the front landing gear on the Dash 8 Series 300 collapsed. The aircraft stopped successfully on the forward section of its fuselage and all 46 passengers and 3 crew members left the aircraft uninjured. The aircraft registration number was ZK-NEB. - A similar incident on 9 February 2011 saw an Air Nelson Q300 flying from Hamilton to Wellington diverted to Blenheim when the nose wheel failed to deploy. The plane made a successful nose down landing with none of the 44 passengers injured.