Notes for June 11

Qantas/Jetconnect Notes
Qantas ceased domestic services on Tuesday 09-June-2009 with Boeing 737-376 ZK-JNC operating the last flight QF2728 WLG-AKL. JNC was then parked up in Auckland as an operational spare, to cover the trans-tasman flights now operated by Jetconnect.

Qantas also retired Boeing 737-376 ZK-JNB on Monday 08-June-2009 after it operated CHC-ROT-CHC-ZQN-CHC. JNB will be flown to Arizona for storage at a later date.

Qantas/Jetconnect continue to operate on trans-tasman runs from AKL and WLG.

WLG-SYD flights have not changed, while Jetconnect have replaced Qantas Mainline on the MEL run, with a re-timed service.
The WLG-BNE route has now closed with the last flight on Sunday 07-June-2009 with ZK-JTR operating QF58/57.

Auckland to Brisbane flights remain twice daily with the afternoon QF126/125 being re-timed. The Auckland to Melbourne flights have increased to three times daily with changes to timings and aircraft used.
Qantas have also replaced 3 return daily B767 Auckland-Sydney services with Jetconnect aircraft.

QF26/25 MEL-AKL-LAX-AKL-MEL operated by Qantas Boeing 747-400 aircraft now only operate LAX-AKL-LAX with the removal of the Melbourne legs, which are now operated by Jetconnect aircraft.

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Jetstar Notes
Jetstar commenced domestic services in New Zealand on Wednesday 10-June-2009. They commenced with two A320 aircraft VH-VQB and VH-VQT. VQB arrived into Auckland from Sydney as JQ7981 early on the 10th, while VQT had arrived late on the 9th as JQ7983.

VH-VQB inaugurated the WLG route operating the first JQ263 and VH-VQT operated the first Christchurch route JQ245.

Inevitably as seems to be the case with launches/first flights there were some teething problems and flights ran up to 2hrs late as a result.

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Pacific Blue Notes
Pacific Blue continue to grow in leaps and bounds, coming close on the heels of the announcement of the new Hamilton services, Pacific Blue have now also announced the introduction of trans-tasman flights to Queenstown and Dunedin, and the re-introduced of the Sydney to Wellington service.

The press release can be found HERE

The new services look like this

DJ88 SYD-ZQN 1030-1540 TUES, SAT
DJ89 ZQN-SYD 1630-1755 TUES, SAT

DJ64 BNE-DUD 0845-1425 TUES, THURS, SUN
DJ65 DUD-BNE 1515-1720 TUES, THURS, SUN

DJ56 SYD-WLG 0930-1415 MON, WED, FRI
DJ57 WLG-SYD 1545-1710 MON, WED, FRI

Qantas/Jetconnect Notes

Qantas Jetconnect Boeing 737-376 ZK-JNO which was retired from service when the 4th B734 ZK-JTS entered service has ended its working life. JNO was withdrawn from the register on 25-May-2009 and has been "broken up" at CHC. The nose cone and weather radar, wings and tail have been removed. The fuselage will remain intact and has been sold to ANZES subsidiary Altitude, to use as a cabin mock-up for their 737 BBJ interiors business.
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The countdown is also on for Qantas/Jetconnects domestic services with Jetstar set to replace them flying into AKL, WLG, CHC and ZQN from Wednesday 10-June-2009, this means the end of domestic jet services into Rotorua from Tuesday 09-June-2009.

Air New Zealand Notes

Air New Zealand movements of note over the period to this post include, but is not limited to.

09-May-2009 NZ739/738 AKL-BNE-AKL operated by B733 ZK-NGE
10-May-2009 NZ739/738 AKL-BNE-AKL operated by B733 ZK-NGH
13-May-2009 NZ731/731 AKL-BNE-AKL canceled
21-May-2009 NZ6844 WLG-SYD ZK-OJN repositioning flight due fog in MEL
01-June-2009 NZ731/732 AKL-BNE-AKL operated by B733 ZK-NGH
05-June-2009 NZ731/732/739/738 AKL-BNE-AKL-BNE-AKL operated by B733 ZK-NGJ
06-June-2009 NZ939/938 AKL-OOL-AKL operated by B733 ZK-NGJ
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Air New Zealand have bid a sad farewell to the first B744 in NZ service when ZK-NBS departed AKL for LAX and ROW (Roswell, New Mexico, USA) to be scrapped. More on NBS's history can be found on Mikes blog HERE