Air Chathams
Jun 9, 2012 | 1:02 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Waitangi, Chatham Islands, New Zealand
Posts: 5
Air Chathams
The Chatham Islands lie 890kms east of Christchurch. Very windswept and remote, the forgotten island of New Zealand. Although if one of our locals has sent a crayfish over to Jim Hickey on TV1 weather, we might get a mention right at the end. I have called this isolated part of the world home for over 4 years. Ive loved every moment of it. It is an amazing place to live.
Living costs on the Islands are high, power is 4x of that on the mainland. Milk is $8.50 for 2 litres. All these perishable foods are freighted to the islands by the Chathams real lifeline, Air Chathams.
Air Chathams established in 1989 after locals were fed up with the poor service provided by Safe Air who operated the route from Wellington with their Argosy Aircraft. Air Chathams started with only a Cessna 337. This intially used under East Air of Gisbornes license, but soon began in its own right. After the Safe Air Service ended, Mount Cook announced their commencement of the service using their Hawker Siddely 748s. Air Chathams then announced the purchase of a Beechcraft 99 aircraft. The 337 would handle the Pitt Island trips. During the fierce competition battle with Mount Cook, Air Chathams took possesion of a Fairchild Metroliner. Then Mount Cook announced they were going to run their new, bigger ATR 42s on the route. Suddenly Mount Cook pulled out of the Chathams altogether.
Air Chathams now the only airline operating to the islands, sold the Beech 99 and loaned money to buy a Convair 580 aircraft. Air Chathams refitted the normally 50pax aircraft to 35/36pax with a large cargo hold and large rear loading door. The Convair ran flights to the Mainland, while the Metroliner was leased to Origin Pacific. In time the airline purchased 3 more Convairs, one which is used on Charter Work especially round Wanaka, Queenstown and Te Anau/Manapouri. One was sent to the Kingdom of Tonga, to add to Air Chathans subsadie Chathams Pacific. The other is a pure freighter purchased from DHL in Bahrain. This one sits in a rather sad looking condition in Palmerston North. When Origin Pacific collapsed, the Metroliner came back and ran flights to Christchurch and Napier, before being deployed to Tonga.
Nowdays the Air Chathams schedule is great, with flights most days:
Monday: Wellington
Tuesday: Christchurch
Wednesday: Wellington (summer only)
Thursday: Auckland (Napier discontinued)
Friday: Wellington
Saturday: Auckland (summer only)
Pitt Island runs when required.
Fares with Air Chathams are high, one way Chathams to mainland costs $490 -$670 and Chathams to Pitt around $90.
Below I will post about my more interesting trips with Air Chathams
Living costs on the Islands are high, power is 4x of that on the mainland. Milk is $8.50 for 2 litres. All these perishable foods are freighted to the islands by the Chathams real lifeline, Air Chathams.
Air Chathams established in 1989 after locals were fed up with the poor service provided by Safe Air who operated the route from Wellington with their Argosy Aircraft. Air Chathams started with only a Cessna 337. This intially used under East Air of Gisbornes license, but soon began in its own right. After the Safe Air Service ended, Mount Cook announced their commencement of the service using their Hawker Siddely 748s. Air Chathams then announced the purchase of a Beechcraft 99 aircraft. The 337 would handle the Pitt Island trips. During the fierce competition battle with Mount Cook, Air Chathams took possesion of a Fairchild Metroliner. Then Mount Cook announced they were going to run their new, bigger ATR 42s on the route. Suddenly Mount Cook pulled out of the Chathams altogether.
Air Chathams now the only airline operating to the islands, sold the Beech 99 and loaned money to buy a Convair 580 aircraft. Air Chathams refitted the normally 50pax aircraft to 35/36pax with a large cargo hold and large rear loading door. The Convair ran flights to the Mainland, while the Metroliner was leased to Origin Pacific. In time the airline purchased 3 more Convairs, one which is used on Charter Work especially round Wanaka, Queenstown and Te Anau/Manapouri. One was sent to the Kingdom of Tonga, to add to Air Chathans subsadie Chathams Pacific. The other is a pure freighter purchased from DHL in Bahrain. This one sits in a rather sad looking condition in Palmerston North. When Origin Pacific collapsed, the Metroliner came back and ran flights to Christchurch and Napier, before being deployed to Tonga.
Nowdays the Air Chathams schedule is great, with flights most days:
Monday: Wellington
Tuesday: Christchurch
Wednesday: Wellington (summer only)
Thursday: Auckland (Napier discontinued)
Friday: Wellington
Saturday: Auckland (summer only)
Pitt Island runs when required.
Fares with Air Chathams are high, one way Chathams to mainland costs $490 -$670 and Chathams to Pitt around $90.
Below I will post about my more interesting trips with Air Chathams
