Q300 fleet going?
 

https://p-airnz.com/cms/assets/PDFs/airnz-2017-investor-day-presentation.pdf

Anyone else spot on page 60 - it refers to 23x Q300s exiting the fleet by 2020.

Thanks for the link.

I think you are misinterpreting. The slide on pg 65 refers to unencumbered aircraft. That just means they are aircraft that are not restricted by leases or financing (by 2020). While this opens up the option of selling owned aircraft, it doesn't necessarily mean they are planning to be sold.

That's been rumoured for quite some time... Even the fact some were never painted lead many to believe some would be going a lot sooner than expected due to the large fleet of ATR72's still on their way.

Just wait for the pullout next from places such as Gisborne and Kerikeri as they let Air Chathams take over.

Also that fact that 72-500s got replacement seats, yet the Q300s only had there seat covers replaced.

Maybe an top-up of a few more ATR 72-600s, and the Q300s could be sold off.

The only problem with the ATR is that it can't operate into many airports such as KKE without a significant load reduction.

Finally some thing make New Zealand airports think to the feature, upgrade before its needed or lose your services :D If only that would work for AIAL...

Also the Q300 have no direct replacement. The Q400 is ATR72 sized and faster, so not helpful when they have gone with the ATR72-600. So if they are going to replace the smaller plane with anything with would be the ATR-42 which is the size of the size of the Q300. Going the the ATR42 if they want a smaller plane will be handy as there is commonality with the 72.

The Q300 average age is 10 so in the next few years+ will be up for replacement. The ATR72-500 average age is 16 and they start to get replaced this year with new ATR72-600s (The ATR72-600s thus far have been to replace the Q300s doing Beech runs and growth).

All that said AirNZ sees the Q300s being used past the ADSB requirements introduction as we now have two Q300s with ADSB over the last few weeks. Seems to be added when the Q300s have about weeks maintenance in Nelson.

Installing ADSB would help with getting an better re-sale price, being that most major airspaces now require it.

Not to mention if Q300's were sold to somebody such as Air Chathams they would need this anyway.

Air NZ pull out of Gisborne? Now way. They price jack out of here like you would not believe. No competition and full flights and if they are not full they just cancel. With IRD, ACC, MBIE, DOC, MAF, CYPS, Land Court, MOE all having significant footprint in Gisborne spending tax payer $ to fly in and out there is money to burn on that route.

Definitely going, wouldn't be surprised if it goes all ATR

ATR is finalising the ATR 42-600 specs as the 72 is too big for some missions/airports around the world, runway and climb issues, and it is the only 50 seat turbo-prop offering in the near future.
The 72 is more expensive to run, not just the operating cost due to weight and size, but the fact that it needs 2 cabin crew for not much additional capacity.

The 42-600 already exists (it just sells in low numbers). What ATR are working on is a sub-variant with improved short field performance that may appeal to some operators.

As for 42 vs 72, I would look at it the other way around. The 72 is marginally more expensive to operate but the seats you gain more than offset that cost. It is not uncommon for operators to stick with the bigger machine if possible but impose payload restrictions on routes where necessary. Here in New Zealand for example, the 72 had operated into Keri Keri and Whangarei on charters before; it's not unexplored territory.

And both airports face serious restrictions on loadings using the ATR.

In the region of a 2-3 tonne hit on max takeoff weight under certain conditions. Manageable given Auckland is a short sector.