Qantas/Jetconnect Update

There has been a lot of action in and around the Jetconnect fleet since my last post.

Boeing 737-838 ZK-ZQA crossed the tasman as QF6021 MEL-AKL on Wednesday 16-September-2009. It then entered Jetconnect service as QF116/115 AKL-BNE-AKL on Thursday 17-September-2009.

Boeing 737-838 ZK-ZQB was noted making a test flight MEL-test-MEL on Monday 21 September-2009, before positioning MEL-AKL as QF6021 on Wednesday 23-September-2009. It then entered Jetconnect service as QF142/43 AKL-SYD-AKL on Thursday 24-September-2009.

Boeing 737-376 ZK-JNC underwent unplanned maintenance from Saturday 19-September-2009 until Wednesday 30-September-2009 when it was noted making a test flight AKL-test-AKL as QF6003. It then re-entered Jetconnect service as QF142/47 AKL-MEL-WLG on Friday 02-October-2009

Boeing 737-376 ZK-JND flew its last revenue service as QF131 MEL-AKL on Monday 28-September-2009. It has since remained parked in AKL but is scheduled to fly AKL-APW-HNL Saturday 10-October-2009 as QF6024 on the first leg of its trip to storage in the Californian desert.

Boeing 737-878 VH-VZH arrived into MEL as QF6020 from NOU 08-September-2009 and was noted operating QF6020 BFI-HNL-NOU 06/07-September-2009. It will become ZK-ZQC and is scheduled to enter service as QF25 MEL-AKL on 22-October-2009. The entry of ZQC into service will hopefully see ZK-JNC retired.

The following flight changes have been noted during this period.

• Sunday 20-September-2009 Boeing 737-838 VH-VXR QF47/48 MEL-WLG-MEL
• Tuesday 22-September-2009 QF142/43/117 canceled
• Tuesday 22-September-2009 QF48 WLG-SYD (ZK-JTS) diverted to BNE due dust storms in SYD
• Wednesday 23-September-2009 QF142/47/43/38/133 canceled - due dust storms in SYD
• Monday 05-October-2009 ZK-ZQB went unserviceable in SYD
• Tuesday 06-October-2009 Boeing 737-838 VH-VXQ QF141/26 SYD-AKL-MEL
• Tuesday 06-October-2009 QF133 MEL-AKL canceled
• Wednesday 07-October-2009 Boeing 737-838 VH-VXR QF115/126 BNE-AKL-BNE
• Wednesday 07-October-2009 QF116 AKL-BNE canceled, ZK-JNC AKL-BNE as QF6018
• Thursday 08-September-2009 ZK-ZQB SYD-AKL as QF6018
  

ZK-JTR is scheduled to operate AKL-CHC as QF6019 Saturday 18-October-2009 to enter scheduled maintenance.

Airport Codes used in this post
AKL: Auckland, New Zealand
APW: Apia, Samoa
BFI: Boeing Field, USA
BNE: Brisbane, Australia
CHC: Christchurch, New Zealand
HNL: Honolulu, Hawaii
MEL: Melbourne, Australia
NOU: Noumea
SYD: Sydney, Australia
WLG: Wellington, New Zealand

Pacific Blue Notes

Pacific Blue have launched their new trans-tasman routes; Hamilton to Sydney & Brisbane, Dunedin to Brisbane, Sydney to Queenstown and Wellington to Sydney. The launches were as follows.

• Monday 31-August-2009 ZK-PBJ operated DJ9050 from AKL to HLZ via some overflying of towns and cities in the region to promote the launch.
  
• Tuesday 01-September-2009 ZK-PBJ launched the inaugural PBN103 HLZ-SYD, followed by PBN88 SYD-ZQN, and PBN89 ZQN-SYD.
• Wednesday 02-September-2009 saw ZK-PBA operate the inaugural PBN104 SYD-HLZ
• Thursday 03-September-2009 saw ZK-PBD operate the inaugural PBN64 BNE-DUD and PBN65 DUD-BNE
• Thursday 03-September-2009 also saw ZK-PBG operate the inaugural PBN86 BNE-HLZ
• Saturday 05-September-2009 saw ZK-PBI opearate the inaugural PBN85 HLZ-BNE
• Monday 14-September-2009 saw ZK-PBD operate the inaugural PBN56 SYD-WLG and then PBN57 WLG-SYD, although this is a resumption of the SYD-WLG connection after a few years absence.

Virgin Blue/Pacific Blue have painted Boeing 737-8FE VH-VUF 'Hobart Honey' in Pacific Blue colours, VUF re-entered domestic Australian service as VOZ1814 TSV-MEL on Thursday 10-September-2009. As yet VUF is yet to enter international route service.


Boeing 737-7FE VH-VBZ which was slated for painting into Pacific Blue colours has not yet received the paint job, and these plans now appear to either be on hold, or canceled.


ZK-PBJ operating PBN92 APW-AKL diverted to WLG arriving on Monday 14-September-2009 at 0440 local time, it then departed as DJ7092 at 0715 local.

Codes used in this post:
Flight/Airline Codes
DJ - Virgin Blue/Pacific Blue
PBN - Pacific Blue (NZ)
PBH - Pacific Blue (Aust)
VOZ - Virgin Blue

Airport Codes
APW - Apia, Samoa
AKL - Auckland, New Zealand
BNE - Brisbane, Australia
DUD - Dunedin, New Zealand
HLZ - Hamilton, New Zealand
SYD - Sydney, Australia
WLG - Wellington, New Zealand
ZQN - Queenstown, New Zealand

Jetconnect's new build Boeing 737-838s

The first two new build Boeing 737-838s for Jetconnect have now arrived in Melbourne, for final EIS (entry into service) work with Qantas, before they begin their Trans-Tasman flying duties.

ZK-ZQA and ZK-ZQB arrived into MEL under Australian registrations VH-VZF and VH-VZG, with VZF arriving on Thursday 03-September-2009 as QF6020 from Nadi. VZG arrived from Nadi on Sunday 06-September-2009 also as QF6020.

ZK-ZQA is the 75th Boeing 737 delivered to the Qantas group (including Australian Airlines) and wears a special commemorative sticker on her nose, for this.

ZK-ZQA is named Jean Batten, while ZK-ZQB is named Sir William Hudson.

ZQA and ZQB will replace current Jetconnect Boeing 737-376s ZK-JNC and ZK-JNN.

JNN is scheduled to be withdrawn today Monday 14-September-2009, although it has not flown since arriving in AKL as QF113 from SYD on Tuesday 08-September-2009. (Jetconnect have been operating VH-VXU on MEL-AKL-SYD-AKL-MEL QF25/114/113/134 during the past week)

*****JNN departed AKL around 0600NZST bound for Apia and Honolulu as QF6024, believed to be on its flight to storage in the Californian desert.*****

JNC and JND will retire during October. The fates of JNC, JND and JNN are as yet unknown.

ZQA can be seen HERE - note wearing VH-VZF rego, with ZQA on tail and nose gear doors

ZQB can be see HERE - note wearing VH-VZG rego, with ZQB on tail and nose gear doors

Another item of note is the 6 new Boeing 737-838s being built for Jetconnect will be the first in the Qantas fleet to feature individual seat back PTVs for all passengers.

The 3rd 737-838 ZK-ZQC is due for delivery to Qantas/Jetconnect in October and as mentioned will replace ZK-JND.