Qantas-Jetconnect fleet update

Jetconnect are set to take delivery of their next 3 new 738s in February.    

ZK-ZQD will be delivered Monday 07-Feb-2011, ZK-ZQE is set for delivery on Thursday 17-Feb-2011, and finally ZK-ZQF on Friday 25-Feb-2011

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B737-476 ZK-JTS will be retired on Sunday 30-Jan-2011 and will then head to CHC for a C-check before returning to Qantas Mainline service as VH-TJZ. (This appears to tie in with the information in my earlier fleet post HERE)

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Former Jetconnect B737-376 ZK-JNC has survived the  wreckers and looks likely to have a new lease of life as a corporate (VIP) jet.

It has been registered as N249AG to Skybus LLC of Indianapolis IN. Which is the American arm of European Skybus (part of the European Aviation group, which included the former airlines European Air Charter, and Ozjet)

Between 18 and 20 December 2010 it ferried out of storage in Tucson Arizona over the following route TUS-IND-YYR-KEF-BOH (Tucson-Indianapolis-Goose Bay-Keflavik-Bournemouth)

It is now sitting in Bournemouth in England where it is awaiting conversion to a VIP aircraft.

Photo from yorky22 Farnborough-aviation-group.co.uk

For more on ZK-JNC please follow these links

Scramble Forum

Farnborough-aviation-group.co.uk BOH Movements

A big thank you to Andrew Russell for pointing me in the direction of this information on ZK-JNC

Merry Christmas

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my readers a safe, happy and blessed Christmas and New Year, and would like to thank you for following NZ Aviation Notes this year.

I hope you have a fun, relaxing, enjoyable time with your loved ones during the festive season, drive safely, and stay safe, and I wish you luck for everything 2011 throws your way.

What better way to wish you a merry christmas than to leave it to our friends at Air New Zealand.  So here is Air New Zealands video Christmas card to you.

NZL authorities ok NZ/DJ

The New Zealand authorities have joined the ACCC in paving the way for the Air New Zealand - Virgin Blue group trans-tasman tie up, signing off on monday.

Air New Zealand and Virgin can start thrashing out the finer details of their new trans-Tasman alliance, after the deal cleared its final regulatory hurdle.
Transport Minister Steven Joyce gave the alliance the green light yesterday, saying co-operation, coupled with conditions placed on the airlines, would benefit passengers through more travel options, an improved range of departure times and continued competitive fares.

Its expected the new fares/routes/codeshared flights wll be abvailable in 6-7 months but on sale in around 4.

Stuff.co.nz Air NZ clears final hurdle in alliance with Virgin by Hamish Rutherford