Traffic
Dash 8 Fleet Additions
Southern Australia and Sunstate Airlines have both announced orders for the DHC-8-100, which further consolidates its position as market leader in its class in Australia and New Zealand. On 01/01 Sunstate Airlines (Mildura) changed their name to Southern Australia Airlines, reflecting both its association with Australian Airlines and also closer identifying its new sphere of operations. The first Dash 8 delivered to Southern Australia will allow the company to expand their network by taking over from Eastern Australia on routes from Melbourne to Devonport and Launceston. The Dash B’s VH-WZI msn 014 and VH-WZJ msn 027 will be delivered in 02/92 and 03/92. The two aircraft concerned were previously operated by City Express of Toronto as C-GCTX and C-FCTE respectively. When City Express ceased operations in 02/91 they were sold to AGES Holding Corp, as N814CL and N27CL.
Southern Australia titles will also be carried by the Essendon based Cessna 404 fleet contracted to the Victorian Air Ambulance Service. Sunstate Airlines (Queensland) will take delivery of DHC-8-100’s VH-TNM msn 036 and VH-TNS msn 041 in 03/92. The Sunstate Dash 8s were previously operated by Eastern Metro Express as N806MX and N807MX. With the collapse of parent company Eastern Airlines in 01/91 they then became two of eight DHC-8-100s offered for sale by Pace Aviation of Reno, Nevada. Sunstate Airlines leased Shorts 360 VH-TAO from Airlines of Tasmania in mid December for an indefinite period. In ‘Traffic’ 12/91 we mentioned the sale of DHC-6-300s VH-TNM, VH-TNS and ZK-KHA. Information has since come to hand which further clarifies the situation. The two Sunstate (Queensland) aircraft VH-TNM and VH-TNS were sold to Islands Aviation, Rabaul as P2-IAA and P2-IAE respectively. Islands Aviation, which is a division of Islands Helicopter Services, commenced regional airline services from Rabaul in 07/91. The former Cook Islands Airways ZK-KHA has not joined the Mount Cook fleet as we suggested and may in fact be eventually sold in SE Asia.
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