25 July 2012

Ansett New Zealand - Airborne 25 years ago today


Thanks to Grayson Ottoway who sent in this post...

Ansett New Zealand was the result of Ansett Australia's desire to expand into the New Zealand market, enabled by the relaxation of regulation in the aviation sector by the fourth Labour government. Ansett Australia formed a partnership with two New Zealand companies, Brierley Investments and Newmans, the latter being a tourism company which owned the unprofitable Newmans Air. Newmans Air formed the basis for a new expanded airline, the company being Bilmans Management Ltd, operating as Ansett New Zealand.

It began operations with 3 Boeing 737-100 aircraft between Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch and the ex Newmans air Dash-7s were used on tourist routes Between Auckland, Rotorua, Christchurch and Queenstown.

The airline was known for its quirky TV advertisements - the businessman who boarded the plane with his wife's keys ("I gave them to the pilot," the hostess reassures him, "and he threw them out the window") or Fluffy, the bedraggled cat that accidently ends up at the airport.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFE5AF1j-Ws

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5viPnzK-S4

Ansett came to the rescue both times with the phrase, "what a big difference a little extra service can make".

Mystery weekends, where passengers turned up to the airport and were flown to an unknown destination within New Zealand, were also a hallmark of the airline.

Ansett introduced the "Golden Wing Lounge" - a precursor to today's Koru Club - was introduced, and full meals and a bar service were included, even on regional flights.

While Air New Zealand would probably have introduced these innovations eventually, Ansett certainly sped up the process.

While Air New Zealand in Wellington operated out of an old hangar, Ansett built a whole new building attached to the old international terminal. That was followed in 1988 by the introduction of the new-wave "Whisper Jets", replacing the noisy older jets.

It took eight years, but in 1995 Ansett NZ celebrated making a profit.

Ansett New Zealand stopped services in 2000.


Operations started in 1987 with 3 Boeing 737-100 aircraft  (actually some of the oldest in the world - see below) between Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

The 737's were purchased from America West Airways in the USA and were...

       Boeing 737-130, ZK-NEA (c/n 19014), delivered on 18-05-1987 as City of Auckland  
(Number 2 off the production line)
Photo taken at Christchurch on 23 June 1987. Photo : S Lowe

ZK-NEA
Ordered new by Deutsche Lufthansa AG
Rolled off the Boeing production line at Renton - April 1967
First flown as N2282C - May 13, 1967
This was the second Boeing 737 to be constructed
Entered onto the German Aircraft Register as D-ABEA - December 1967
Registered to Deutsche Lufthansa AG
Accepted by Lufthansa at Seattle - December 1967
Aircraft was named 'Coburg'
Sold to Far Eastern Air Transport (FEAT) - September 28, 1981
Aircraft stored at Hamburg due to a ban on the importation of used aircraft into Taiwan
Planned sale of aircraft to SAVAR Airlines, Venezuela did not eventuate - November 1982
Aircraft had been ferried Hamburg-Miami and was placed in storage
Sold to Asian Aviation Services - April 1983
Sold to America West Airlines Inc, Phoenix, Arizona - April 6, 1984
Entered onto the U.S. Aircraft Register as N701AW - April 6, 1984
Sold to Ansett Worldwide Aviation Services - December 10, 1986
Lease continued to America West Airlines
Leased to Ansett New Zealand
Arrived Christchurch, New Zealand at conclusion of delivery flight - May 18, 1987
Entered onto the New Zealand Aircraft Register as ZK-NEA - May 28, 1987
Registered to Billmans Management Ltd
Operated the last Ansett New Zealand 737 service - December 28, 1989
Aircraft stored at Christchurch and officially withdrawn from service - February 2, 1990
Departed Christchurch on ferry flight to U.S.A. for storage - March 28, 1991
Cancelled from the New Zealand Aircraft Register - April 3, 1991
Entered onto the U.S. Aircraft Register as N701PJ - September 1993
Registered to Transpacific Enterprises Inc, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Sold to Rovair Enterprises Inc - October 5, 1995
Scrapped at Marana - October 1995
Boeing 737-130, ZK-NEB (c/n 19015), delivered on 21-06-1987 as City of Wellington
(Number 4 off the production line)

Photo taken at Christchurch on 27 December 1987. Photo : S Lowe

ZK-NEB
Ordered new by Deutsche Lufthansa AG
Rolled off the Boeing production line at Renton - June 1967
First flown as N2289C - July 5, 1967
This was the fourth Boeing 737 to be constructed
Entered onto the German Aircraft Register as D-ABEC - December 1967
Registered to Deutsche Lufthansa AG
Accepted by Lufthansa at Seattle - December 28, 1967
Aircraft was named 'Osnabruck'
Sold to Far Eastern Air Transport (FEAT) - October 22, 1981
Aircraft stored at Hamburg due to a ban on the importation of used aircraft into Taiwan
Sold to Asian Aviation Services - April 1983
Aircraft departed Hamburg for Taipei to undergo D Check - April 24, 1983
Sold to America West Airlines Inc, Phoenix, Arizona - April 6, 1984
Entered onto the U.S. Aircraft Register as N702AW - April 6, 1984
Sold to Ansett Worldwide Aviation Services - December 10, 1986
Lease continued to America West Airlines
Returned to A.W.A.S. by America West at end of lease - May 11, 1987
Leased to Ansett New Zealand - June 21, 1987
Arrived Christchurch, New Zealand at conclusion of delivery flight - June 25, 1987
Entered onto the New Zealand Aircraft Register as ZK-NEB - July 13, 1987
Registered to Billmans Management Ltd
Withdrawn from service at Christchurch - December 13, 1989
Returned to A.W.A.S. and stored at Christchurch
Departed Christchurch on ferry flight to U.S.A. for storage at Marana, Arizona
- April 19, 1991
Cancelled from the New Zealand Aircraft Register - April 23, 1991
Entered onto the U.S. Aircraft Register as N702PJ - September 1993
Registered to Transpacific Enterprises Inc, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Sold to Rovair Enterprises Inc - October 5, 1995
Registered to Rovair Enterprises - November 14, 1995
Scrapped at Marana - November 1995
Boeing 737-130 ZK-NEC (c/n 19016), delivered on 27-04-1987 as City of Christchurch (Number 5 off the production line)
Photo taken at Christchurch on 22 October 1988. Photo : S Lowe

ZK-NEC
Ordered new by Deutsche Lufthansa AG
Rolled off the Boeing production line at Renton - 1967
First flown as D-ABED - January 20, 1968
This was the fifth Boeing 737 to be constructed
Entered onto the German Aircraft Register as D-ABED - January 1968
Registered to Deutsche Lufthansa AG
Accepted by Lufthansa at Seattle - January 1968
Aircraft was named 'Flensburg'
Had distinction of operating the world's first 737 commercial service - February 1968
Sold to Far Eastern Air Transport (FEAT) - October 22, 1981
Aircraft stored at Hamburg due to a ban on the importation of used aircraft into Taiwan
Sold to Asian Aviation Services - April 1983
Aircraft departed Hamburg for Taipei to undergo D Check - April 24, 1983
Leased to SAVAR, Caracas, Venezuela
Entered onto the Venezuelan Aircraft Register as YV-406C
Sold to America West Airlines Inc, Phoenix, Arizona - April 6, 1984
Entered onto the U.S. Aircraft Register as N703AW - April 6, 1984
Sold to Ansett Worldwide Aviation Services - October 1986
Lease continued to America West Airlines
Leased to Challenge Air International Inc, Miami, Florida - December 15, 1986
Returned to A.W.A.S. at end of lease - March 20, 1987
Leased to Ansett New Zealand - March 1987
Arrived Christchurch, New Zealand at conclusion of delivery flight - April 27, 1987
Entered onto the New Zealand Aircraft Register as ZK-NEC - May 12, 1987
Registered to Billmans Management Ltd
Aircraft was named 'City of Christchurch'
Operated inaugural Ansett New Zealand 737 service Christchurch-Wellington
- July 25, 1987
Withdrawn from service at Christchurch - December 17, 1989
Returned to A.W.A.S. and stored at Christchurch
Departed Christchurch on ferry flight to U.S.A. for storage at Tucson, Arizona
- May 29, 1991
Cancelled from the New Zealand Aircraft Register - June 20, 1991
Entered onto the U.S. Aircraft Register as N703PJ - September 1993
Registered to Transpacific Enterprises Inc, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Sold to Rovair Enterprises Inc - October 5, 1995
Sold to Spectrum Aerospace Inc, Tempe, Arizona - October 26, 1995
Registered to Spectrum Aerospace - January 18, 1996
Scrapped at Tucson - January 2001
Cancelled from the U.S. Aircraft Register - January 11, 2001

Boeing 737-112 ZK-NED (c/n 19770), delivered on 17-07-1987 as City of Nelson
(Number 203 off the production line)
Photo taken at Christchurch on 27 December 1987. Photo : S Lowe
 
Ansett NZ also flew two Boeing 737-200's for a time...
Boeing 737-2A6 ZK-NEE (c/n 20195), delivered on 01-07-1988
Photo taken at Christchurch on 28 August 1988. Photo : S Lowe
Air New Zealand actually used this when Ansett took it out of service, as a maintenance replacement.
It was all white with a navy colored Koru on tail.
Boeing 737-2U9 ZK-NEF (c/n 22575) delivered on 20-06-1988
Photo taken at Christchurch on 22 October 1988. Photo : S Lowe

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