National Airways Corporation
Encyclopedia
National Airways Corporation was the national domestic airline of New Zealand from 1947 until 1978 when it amalgamated with New Zealand's international airline, Air New Zealand
. The airline was headquartered in Wellington
. Today it exists as a 'paper' airline "Air New Zealand National" to manage that airline's domestic jet fleet.
National Airways Corporation was itself an amalgamation of Union Airways
and a number of other smaller operators, including the country's first commercial air service Air Travel (NZ) Ltd
. At the time of its inception, it was equipped with de Havilland Dragon Rapide
s, de Havilland Fox Moth
s, Douglas DC-3
s, Lockheed Electra
s and Lockheed Lodestar
s which initially operated inside New Zealand. However in the late 1940s NAC also provided international services to some nearby South Pacific
countries, using converted ex-Royal New Zealand Air Force
(RNZAF) Short Sunderland
s. By the time of the merger with Air New Zealand
, the fleet consisted of 25 aircraft comprising Boeing 737s and Fokker F27s. Engineering workshops were set up at Harewood
(Christchurch
), Whenuapai
(Auckland
), Gisborne
and Nelson
.
The destinations that initially formed the NAC Domestic Network (including West Coast Airways) were:
Kaitaia
, Kaikohe
, Whangarei
, Auckland, Tauranga
, Gisborne, Napier
, New Plymouth
, Wanganui
, Palmerston North
, Wellington
, Blenheim
, Nelson, Christchurch, Westport
, Greymouth
, Hokitika, Whataroa, Waiho (Franz Josef), Haast, Dunedin
and Invercargill
.
The destinations that formed the NAC Pacific Island Network were:
Norfolk Island
, Fiji
, Tonga
, Samoa
and The Cook Islands
.
NAC served the Pacific Islands in various capacities. Services began in 1947 using Douglas DC-3 aircraft and included Norfolk Island, Tonga, Samoa and The Cook Islands. Fiji
was also served by NAC using Short Sunderland
III's from the RNZAF. All services were withdrawn and taken over by TEAL
on 15 October 1952, except for Norfolk Island which continued until September 1955.
In June 1975, Air New Zealand commenced Norfolk Island services with a chartered NAC Fokker F27-500 Friendship
.
NAC wanted to return to the Pacific area in the late 1970s and had begun to lobby the NZ Government for a return of its international licence as it had planned to equip with the larger Boeing 737-200
. This was one of the catalysts for the forced merger with Air New Zealand in 1978, as the latter airline felt it could lose the Pacific Islands and charter market to NAC.
In November 1956 the NAC air services from Hokitika to South Westland were once again taken over by West Coast Airways. Other destinations removed from the network were Greymouth in 1951 and Kaikohe in August 1970.
In the 1950s NAC acquired de Havilland Heron
s, Vickers Viscount
s and in the 1960s Fokker F27
Friendships and Boeing 737
s.
The Herons were operated between 1952 and 1957, from Wellington Rongotai Airport; mainline services continued using DC-3s from Wellington Paraparaumu Airport.
It was a Dutch-built 30-seat airliner that would be the true successor to the venerable DC-3. The Fokker
F27-100 short-haul airliner suited the NAC provincial network perfectly and being Rolls Royce Dart turbo prop-powered would prove popular. The 'Friendship' had been flying since 1956. However the British government attempted to force NAC's hand into purchasing the similar Handley Page Herald, which was belatedly changed to twin Rolls Royce Dart power from four Alvis-Leonidas piston engines. A Herald was flown out to New Zealand and participated in the opening of Wellington's rebuilt airport, putting on an incredible short field and extreme manouvering air display. The New Zealand government intervened saying the Fokker aircraft had already proved itself while the Herald was still in test mode for its changed powerplants. The Fokker F27s were also Rolls Royce powered so the Dutch airliner won the day and a large order over time.
The Friendships began service with the first arriving in late 1960, and another seven arriving during 1961. They operated to the regional airports with sealed runways; and also on the main trunk route alongside the Viscounts. They operated the first services to Dunedin Momona Airport until traffic built up enough to use the Viscounts there. As more regional airports were sealed during the 1960s, four Fokker F27 Friendship Mk500s were bought.
The Viscounts soldiered on until the last was withdrawn in 1975; by then the unique to the Australasian region '807' type had started to develop wing spar fatigue and the airline sold them on instead of repairing them.
It would be another twenty years before the Viscount's natural successor, the ATR 72-200, would take over the major provincial services.
Three aircraft were shortlisted, the BAC
1-11, Douglas
DC-9, and still on the drawing board, Boeing
's smallest jetliner the 737-200. The main criteria for the candidate aircraft was the ability to safely fly in and out of Wellington Airport's unique right hand inner harbour circuit. The Douglas DC-9 was trialed, found lacking and soon faded from the race. However the British built BAC 1-11 managed to prove itself well and was believed to be the winner for the Viscount replacement. As Boeing didn't have a 737, the company sent out a trijet 727-100 as its flap configuration would be the same as the new model. The BAC 1-11 did have one shortcoming, its capacity of only 90 seats compared to the Boeing 737's seating of 100 in a conservative five abreast layout. It was expected that the ordering of the BAC 1-11 was assured after due dilligence of testing the competing candidates.
So when NAC management chose the new Boeing aircraft over the already proven BAC 1-11, the pro-British National Government promptly turned down the request for precious funds and told NAC to redo their sums again.
NAC rebuffed the government's order and argued that the B737 was the best fit for the growing network. The government agreed and was about to allow NAC to purchase the Boeing when the UK Board Of Trade arrived with a delegation of high powered politicians who then tried to persuade the NZ Government to drop the Boeing in favour of the BAC 1-11. Using the two country's long trade association and the dependency of New Zealand's primary agricultural industry and the possible threat to it if NAC chose elsewhere. The delegation also reminded the government of the decision to purchase the proven Fokker F27 over the unproven turboprop powered Handley Page Herald a decade earlier. They also said that BAC were willing to hurry development on a larger 100-110 seat 1-11 if NAC placed an order. All to no avail.
NAC finally won the NZ Government over with simple economics, three B737's could do the job of four BAC 1-11s. The approval was given in late 1966 for the purchase of three B737s, much to the disdain of the British delegation who said the passenger numbers would be optimistic. NAC's numbers soon proved to be anything but.
The Boeing 737, ZK-NAC, arrived from Seattle directly (via Hawaii and Fiji) into Wellington airport cheering up that city that had just endured the tragic Wahine
disaster. Full services were introduced in 1968 on the "main trunk" (Auckland/Wellington/Christchurch/Dunedin), and extended to Invercargill, Palmerston North and Hamilton during the 1970s. The swift and high speed jet era created an even bigger jump than was had with the Viscount and the Railways suffered as a result with many long range services cut as the displaced Viscounts started to appear at secondary provincial airports.
During the 737 era, passenger numbers fluctuated during this time however it soon became apparent that the little twinjet couldn't cope with holiday and peak time passenger 'surges'. New aircraft were progressively added to the fleet but it was not unusual for NAC passengers to suddenly find themselves on board an Air New Zealand DC-10 or DC-8 as downtimed aircraft were rushed in to move holiday makers. This in turn brought about the idea of purchasing the larger Boeing 727-200.
Boeing even approached NAC with the proposed B757/767 family, opening up new markets. This caught the attention of the board of directors at Air New Zealand who re-ignited the merger debate. In the end it was Air New Zealand that was threatened by the domestic market airline and the government acted.
In August 1972, NAC Acquired 100% ownership of freight company S.A.F.E. Air, which operated Bristol Freighter
and Armstrong Whitworth Argosy
aircraft.
to form the domestic arm of the airline.
The Godwit tail livery was soon painted out with a hybrid Air New Zealand 'Koru' scheme. Small Godwit symbols were placed beneath the cockpit side windows as a link to the past. These survived into the 'Teal Blue' era, but by the 1990s they had been painted out.
However in 1991 Air New Zealand resurrected NAC as a 'paper' company to manage its now large fleet of Boeing 737-200 jets on domestic services. Although to many this was a welcome surprise, disappointment soon followed when requests to have NAC's Godwit symbol affixed to the sides of aircraft doorway entrances (as per Air Nelson etc...) were turned down.
The subsidiary exists with today's Boeing 737-300 fleet alongside the long range fleet as part of the 'Mainline' business arm of Air New Zealand. Separated from stand alone subsidiaries, Eagle Airways
, Air Nelson
, Mount Cook Airline
and Zeal320(the airline's Airbus A320 operator). In October 2009, parent company, Air New Zealand announced the end of Boeing 737-300 operations with the mass purchase of modernised and uprated Airbus
A320
airliners as a replacement on domestic routes. Air New Zealand National will operate the type.
At the time of merger, three Boeing
727-200 tri-jets were about to be ordered to expand domestic and Pacific services. These were later cancelled.
On 23 October 1948, a NAC Lockheed Electra, ZK-AGK Kaka, crashed on Mt Ruapehu in the centre of New Zealand's North Island while flying in clouds. The aircraft was flying from Palmerston North to Hamilton. After passing over Wanganui, the aircraft drifted right of track and collided with the mountain killing all thirteen people on board. The wreckage was located a week later near the summit. The accident highlighted the lack of air navigation radio beacons in New Zealand at the time.
, Auckland. A Vickers Viscount is preserved at Ferrymead
in Christchurch. One of the converted RNZAF Sunderlands is in Kermit Weeks
' aircraft collection.
Some of the ex-NAC F27 Friendships also survive, two airworthy with Airwork
, based at Auckland International Airport. Another is being restored to display at Ashburton Airport, in NAC's livery introduced in 1968. Of the Boeing 737-200 fleet, moves are afoot to try repatriate the former ZK-NAD to New Zealand for static preservation. This aircraft is particularly historically significant, the sole survivor of the initial batch which revolutionised domestic travel in New Zealand.
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
. The airline was headquartered in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
. Today it exists as a 'paper' airline "Air New Zealand National" to manage that airline's domestic jet fleet.
National Airways Corporation was itself an amalgamation of Union Airways
Union Airways of N.Z. Ltd
Union Airways of N.Z. Ltd was New Zealand's first major airline.-History:The Union Steamship Company took shares in East Coast Airways in 1934 and in Cook Strait Airways in 1935, and later that year amalgamated these into a new national airway, on 5 January 1936 opening services between Palmerston...
and a number of other smaller operators, including the country's first commercial air service Air Travel (NZ) Ltd
Bert Mercer
Bert Mercer was a pioneer New Zealand aviator, establishing the country's first commercial airline in 1934 based around services operating between Hokitika and towns in South Westland.-Early life:...
. At the time of its inception, it was equipped with de Havilland Dragon Rapide
De Havilland Dragon Rapide
The de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide was a British short-haul passenger airliner of the 1930s.-Design and development:Designed by the de Havilland company in late 1933 as a faster and more comfortable successor to the DH.84 Dragon, it was in effect a twin-engined, scaled-down version of the...
s, de Havilland Fox Moth
De Havilland Fox Moth
|-References:NotesBibliography* Hotson, Fred W. The de Havilland Canada Story. Toronto: CANAV Books, 1983. ISBN 0-07-549483-3.* Jackson, A. J. British Civil Aircraft 1919-1972: Volume II. London: Putnam , 1988. ISBN 0-85177-813-5....
s, Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
s, Lockheed Electra
Lockheed Model 10 Electra
The Lockheed Model 10 Electra was a twin-engine, all-metal monoplane airliner developed by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in the 1930s to compete with the Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2...
s and Lockheed Lodestar
Lockheed Lodestar
The Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar was a passenger transport aircraft of the World War II era.-Design and development:The prototype of the Lockheed Model 18, which first flew in 1939, was constructed from one of a batch of Lockheed Model 14 Super Electras which had been returned to the manufacturer by...
s which initially operated inside New Zealand. However in the late 1940s NAC also provided international services to some nearby South Pacific
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
countries, using converted ex-Royal New Zealand Air Force
Royal New Zealand Air Force
The Royal New Zealand Air Force is the air arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...
(RNZAF) Short Sunderland
Short Sunderland
The Short S.25 Sunderland was a British flying boat patrol bomber developed for the Royal Air Force by Short Brothers. It took its service name from the town and port of Sunderland in northeast England....
s. By the time of the merger with Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
, the fleet consisted of 25 aircraft comprising Boeing 737s and Fokker F27s. Engineering workshops were set up at Harewood
Harewood, New Zealand
Harewood is a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is north-west of the city centre. It had a population of 3,234 in the 2006 census, an increase of 477 since 2001.-Transport:SH1 passes through Harewood, and separates the land use...
(Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
), Whenuapai
Whenuapai
Whenuapai is a suburb and airport located in the western Waitakere area of Auckland City, in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located on the northwestern shore of the Waitemata Harbour, 15 kilometres to the northwest of Auckland's city centre. It is one of the landing points for the Southern...
(Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
), Gisborne
Gisborne, New Zealand
-Economy:The harbour was host to many ships in the past and had developed as a river port to provide a more secure location for shipping compared with the open roadstead of Poverty Bay which can be exposed to southerly swells. A meat works was sited beside the harbour and meat and wool was shipped...
and Nelson
Nelson, New Zealand
Nelson is a city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay, and is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson-Tasman region. Established in 1841, it is the second oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island....
.
Initial services
The NAC network started with twentytwo destinations and four international Pacific island destinations.The destinations that initially formed the NAC Domestic Network (including West Coast Airways) were:
Kaitaia
Kaitaia
Kaitaia is a town in the far north region of New Zealand, at the base of the Aupouri Peninsula which is about 160 km northwest of Whangarei. It is the last major settlement on the main road north to the capes and bays on the peninsula...
, Kaikohe
Kaikohe
Kaikohe is the central service area for the Far North District of New Zealand, about 260 km from Auckland, situated on State Highway 12 at...
, Whangarei
Whangarei
Whangarei, pronounced , is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the regional capital of Northland Region. Although commonly classified as a city, it is officially part of the Whangarei District, administered by the Whangarei District Council a local body created in 1989 to administer both the...
, Auckland, Tauranga
Tauranga
Tauranga is the most populous city in the Bay of Plenty region, in the North Island of New Zealand.It was settled by Europeans in the early 19th century and was constituted as a city in 1963...
, Gisborne, Napier
Napier, New Zealand
Napier is a New Zealand city with a seaport, located in Hawke's Bay on the eastern coast of the North Island. The population of Napier is about About 18 kilometres south of Napier is the inland city of Hastings. These two neighboring cities are often called "The Twin Cities" or "The Bay Cities"...
, New Plymouth
New Plymouth
New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers migrated....
, Wanganui
Wanganui
Whanganui , also spelled Wanganui, is an urban area and district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Manawatu-Wanganui region....
, Palmerston North
Palmerston North
Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is an inland city with a population of and is the country's seventh largest city and eighth largest urban area. Palmerston North is located in the eastern Manawatu Plains near the north bank...
, Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, Blenheim
Blenheim, New Zealand
Blenheim is the most populous town in the region of Marlborough, in the north east of the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the regional council. It has a population of The area which surrounds the town is well known as a centre of New Zealand's wine industry...
, Nelson, Christchurch, Westport
Westport, New Zealand
-Economy:Economic activity is based around fishing, coal mining and dairy farming. Historically, gold mining was a major industry, and coal mining was much more extensive than today . However, the region still is home to New Zealand's largest opencast mining operation in Stockton...
, Greymouth
Greymouth
Greymouth is the largest town in the West Coast region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The population of the whole Grey District is , which accounts for % of the West Coast's inhabitants...
, Hokitika, Whataroa, Waiho (Franz Josef), Haast, Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
and Invercargill
Invercargill
Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff,...
.
The destinations that formed the NAC Pacific Island Network were:
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance...
, Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
, Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
and The Cook Islands
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
.
Pacific Island services
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
was also served by NAC using Short Sunderland
Short Sunderland
The Short S.25 Sunderland was a British flying boat patrol bomber developed for the Royal Air Force by Short Brothers. It took its service name from the town and port of Sunderland in northeast England....
III's from the RNZAF. All services were withdrawn and taken over by TEAL
TEAL
Tasman Empire Airways Limited was the forerunner of Air New Zealand. It was first registered in Wellington as a limited liability company on 26 April 1940....
on 15 October 1952, except for Norfolk Island which continued until September 1955.
In June 1975, Air New Zealand commenced Norfolk Island services with a chartered NAC Fokker F27-500 Friendship
Fokker F27
The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner...
.
NAC wanted to return to the Pacific area in the late 1970s and had begun to lobby the NZ Government for a return of its international licence as it had planned to equip with the larger Boeing 737-200
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
. This was one of the catalysts for the forced merger with Air New Zealand in 1978, as the latter airline felt it could lose the Pacific Islands and charter market to NAC.
Domestic services
The first change to the NAC domestic network occurred in April 1948 with the addition of Rotorua. Between then and the airline's merger with Air New Zealand, NZNAC added five more destinations to its network:- WanganuiWanganuiWhanganui , also spelled Wanganui, is an urban area and district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Manawatu-Wanganui region....
in November 1954 - TimaruTimaruTimaruUrban AreaPopulation:27,200Extent:Former Timaru City CouncilTerritorial AuthorityName:Timaru District CouncilPopulation:42,867 Land area:2,736.54 km² Mayor:Janie AnnearWebsite:...
in April 1957 - WhakataneWhakataneWhakatane is a town in the eastern Bay of Plenty Region, in the North Island of New Zealand, and is the seat of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Whakatane is 90 km east of Tauranga and 89 km north-east of Rotorua, at the mouth of the Whakatane River.The town has a population of , with...
in November 1962 - TaupoTaupoTaupo is a town on the shore of Lake Taupo in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the seat of the Taupo District Council and lies in the southern Waikato Region....
and OamaruOamaruOamaru , the largest town in North Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand, is the main town in the Waitaki District. It is 80 kilometres south of Timaru and 120 kilometres north of Dunedin, on the Pacific coast, and State Highway 1 and the railway Main South Line connects it to both...
in March 1966
In November 1956 the NAC air services from Hokitika to South Westland were once again taken over by West Coast Airways. Other destinations removed from the network were Greymouth in 1951 and Kaikohe in August 1970.
In the 1950s NAC acquired de Havilland Heron
De Havilland Heron
The de Havilland DH.114 Heron was a small, propeller-driven British airliner that first flew on 10 May 1950. It was a development of the twin-engine de Havilland Dove, with a stretched fuselage and two more engines. It was designed as a rugged, conventional low-wing monoplane with tricycle...
s, Vickers Viscount
Vickers Viscount
The Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world...
s and in the 1960s Fokker F27
Fokker F27
The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner...
Friendships and Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
s.
The Herons were operated between 1952 and 1957, from Wellington Rongotai Airport; mainline services continued using DC-3s from Wellington Paraparaumu Airport.
Turbine power
The Vickers Viscount 807s were introduced in 1958, initially operating from Christchurch to Auckland, and Christchurch. Services to Wellington began the following year, after the dramatic reconstruction of Wellington Rongotai Airport, and the return of NAC to the city centre. Viscount service to Dunedin began late in 1962, after the closure of Dunedin Taieri to airliners; and the opening of Dunedin Momona Airport further down the Taieri valley. The famous 'Viscount Jump' effect saw passenger numbers swell however, unlike most airline competitors who weren't equipped with the type and suffered, in this case it was the railways. Even when it was time to find a successor (Boeing 737), in 1966 NAC brought a second-hand aircraft, bringing the fleet to five, and opened Viscount services to Palmerston North and Invercargill.It was a Dutch-built 30-seat airliner that would be the true successor to the venerable DC-3. The Fokker
Fokker
Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker. The company operated under several different names, starting out in 1912 in Schwerin, Germany, moving to the Netherlands in 1919....
F27-100 short-haul airliner suited the NAC provincial network perfectly and being Rolls Royce Dart turbo prop-powered would prove popular. The 'Friendship' had been flying since 1956. However the British government attempted to force NAC's hand into purchasing the similar Handley Page Herald, which was belatedly changed to twin Rolls Royce Dart power from four Alvis-Leonidas piston engines. A Herald was flown out to New Zealand and participated in the opening of Wellington's rebuilt airport, putting on an incredible short field and extreme manouvering air display. The New Zealand government intervened saying the Fokker aircraft had already proved itself while the Herald was still in test mode for its changed powerplants. The Fokker F27s were also Rolls Royce powered so the Dutch airliner won the day and a large order over time.
The Friendships began service with the first arriving in late 1960, and another seven arriving during 1961. They operated to the regional airports with sealed runways; and also on the main trunk route alongside the Viscounts. They operated the first services to Dunedin Momona Airport until traffic built up enough to use the Viscounts there. As more regional airports were sealed during the 1960s, four Fokker F27 Friendship Mk500s were bought.
The Viscounts soldiered on until the last was withdrawn in 1975; by then the unique to the Australasian region '807' type had started to develop wing spar fatigue and the airline sold them on instead of repairing them.
It would be another twenty years before the Viscount's natural successor, the ATR 72-200, would take over the major provincial services.
Jet Power, "Battle for the Boeing"
The decision to equip with jet aircraft was greeted with great enthusiasm by the NAC board of directors in 1965, but soon had the airline mired in political controversy.Three aircraft were shortlisted, the BAC
BAC
- Arts and entertainment :* Batman: Arkham City, a 2011 video game* Battersea Arts Centre, London, England, United Kingdom* Benedicta Arts Center, St...
1-11, Douglas
Douglas Aircraft Company
The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer, based in Long Beach, California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas...
DC-9, and still on the drawing board, Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
's smallest jetliner the 737-200. The main criteria for the candidate aircraft was the ability to safely fly in and out of Wellington Airport's unique right hand inner harbour circuit. The Douglas DC-9 was trialed, found lacking and soon faded from the race. However the British built BAC 1-11 managed to prove itself well and was believed to be the winner for the Viscount replacement. As Boeing didn't have a 737, the company sent out a trijet 727-100 as its flap configuration would be the same as the new model. The BAC 1-11 did have one shortcoming, its capacity of only 90 seats compared to the Boeing 737's seating of 100 in a conservative five abreast layout. It was expected that the ordering of the BAC 1-11 was assured after due dilligence of testing the competing candidates.
So when NAC management chose the new Boeing aircraft over the already proven BAC 1-11, the pro-British National Government promptly turned down the request for precious funds and told NAC to redo their sums again.
NAC rebuffed the government's order and argued that the B737 was the best fit for the growing network. The government agreed and was about to allow NAC to purchase the Boeing when the UK Board Of Trade arrived with a delegation of high powered politicians who then tried to persuade the NZ Government to drop the Boeing in favour of the BAC 1-11. Using the two country's long trade association and the dependency of New Zealand's primary agricultural industry and the possible threat to it if NAC chose elsewhere. The delegation also reminded the government of the decision to purchase the proven Fokker F27 over the unproven turboprop powered Handley Page Herald a decade earlier. They also said that BAC were willing to hurry development on a larger 100-110 seat 1-11 if NAC placed an order. All to no avail.
NAC finally won the NZ Government over with simple economics, three B737's could do the job of four BAC 1-11s. The approval was given in late 1966 for the purchase of three B737s, much to the disdain of the British delegation who said the passenger numbers would be optimistic. NAC's numbers soon proved to be anything but.
The Boeing 737, ZK-NAC, arrived from Seattle directly (via Hawaii and Fiji) into Wellington airport cheering up that city that had just endured the tragic Wahine
Wahine
Wahine, the Maori and Hawaiian word for woman, can mean:* Kihe-Wahine, a Polynesian goddess* A female surfer* Any of several ships named Wahine, one of which foundered in the Wahine disaster during the "Wahine storm"....
disaster. Full services were introduced in 1968 on the "main trunk" (Auckland/Wellington/Christchurch/Dunedin), and extended to Invercargill, Palmerston North and Hamilton during the 1970s. The swift and high speed jet era created an even bigger jump than was had with the Viscount and the Railways suffered as a result with many long range services cut as the displaced Viscounts started to appear at secondary provincial airports.
During the 737 era, passenger numbers fluctuated during this time however it soon became apparent that the little twinjet couldn't cope with holiday and peak time passenger 'surges'. New aircraft were progressively added to the fleet but it was not unusual for NAC passengers to suddenly find themselves on board an Air New Zealand DC-10 or DC-8 as downtimed aircraft were rushed in to move holiday makers. This in turn brought about the idea of purchasing the larger Boeing 727-200.
Boeing even approached NAC with the proposed B757/767 family, opening up new markets. This caught the attention of the board of directors at Air New Zealand who re-ignited the merger debate. In the end it was Air New Zealand that was threatened by the domestic market airline and the government acted.
The last taildragger
NAC continued using DC-3s from its birth until two months before the merger; although only passengers services to Timaru and Oamaru were operated with DC-3s in the mid 1970s. (Kaikohe being dropped in 1972). One Skyliner DC-3 renamed Waitaki was kept on for this service, until the last of those airports, Timaru, was sealed in 1976.S.A.F.E. Air
Bristol Freighter
The Bristol Type 170 Freighter was a British twin-engine aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company as both a freighter and airliner, although its best known use is as an air ferry to carry cars and their passengers over relatively short distances.-Design and development:The...
and Armstrong Whitworth Argosy
Armstrong Whitworth AW.660 Argosy
The Armstrong Whitworth Argosy was a British post-war military transport/cargo aircraft and was the last aircraft produced by Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft...
aircraft.
Merger
On 1 April 1978, after thirty-one years in operation, NAC merged with Air New ZealandAir New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
to form the domestic arm of the airline.
The Godwit tail livery was soon painted out with a hybrid Air New Zealand 'Koru' scheme. Small Godwit symbols were placed beneath the cockpit side windows as a link to the past. These survived into the 'Teal Blue' era, but by the 1990s they had been painted out.
Re-born, Air New Zealand 'National'
After The New Zealand Government sold Air New Zealand in 1989, the airline began restructuring in 1990. This included the removal of all the former NAC Fokker F27 services. Air New Zealand then split up its fleet (and air routes)into management groups. Acquiring Mount Cook Airlines, Eagle Airways, and Air Nelson to fly provincial services vacated by the Fokker F27 demise.However in 1991 Air New Zealand resurrected NAC as a 'paper' company to manage its now large fleet of Boeing 737-200 jets on domestic services. Although to many this was a welcome surprise, disappointment soon followed when requests to have NAC's Godwit symbol affixed to the sides of aircraft doorway entrances (as per Air Nelson etc...) were turned down.
The subsidiary exists with today's Boeing 737-300 fleet alongside the long range fleet as part of the 'Mainline' business arm of Air New Zealand. Separated from stand alone subsidiaries, Eagle Airways
Eagle Airways
Eagle Airways is a regional airline based in Hamilton, New Zealand with ten crew bases from Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands to Blenheim in the Marlborough region. It is wholly owned by Air New Zealand and operates regional services under the Air New Zealand Link brand...
, Air Nelson
Air Nelson
Air Nelson, a subsidiary of Air New Zealand is a regional airline based in Nelson, New Zealand. It operates services on provincial routes under the Air New Zealand Link brand. Its main base is Nelson Airport, with hubs at Auckland, Napier, New Plymouth, Wellington, Tauranga and Christchurch.The...
, Mount Cook Airline
Mount Cook Airline
Mount Cook Airline is an airline based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is wholly owned by Air New Zealand and operates scheduled services throughout the country under the Air New Zealand Link brand...
and Zeal320(the airline's Airbus A320 operator). In October 2009, parent company, Air New Zealand announced the end of Boeing 737-300 operations with the mass purchase of modernised and uprated Airbus
Airbus
Airbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
A320
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
airliners as a replacement on domestic routes. Air New Zealand National will operate the type.
Fleet
The fleet at that time of merger consisted of twenty-five aircraft:| Aircraft | Total | Orders/ Options |
|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-200 Boeing 737 The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers... |
8 | 1 |
| Fokker F27-100 Fokker F27 The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner... |
13 | |
| Fokker F27-500 Fokker F27 The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner... |
5 |
At the time of merger, three Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
727-200 tri-jets were about to be ordered to expand domestic and Pacific services. These were later cancelled.
Kaimai disaster
On 3 July 1963, a NAC Douglas DC-3 crashed into the Kaimai Ranges in New Zealand's North Island while flying in clouds and turbulence. The aircraft was flying from Whenuapai, Auckland to Tauranga. The aircraft struck a vertical rock face after encountering a strong downdraft. The aircraft may also have commenced an early descent with the pilots unaware of the true position of the aircraft. All twenty-three people on board were killed.Electra crash
On 23 October 1948, a NAC Lockheed Electra, ZK-AGK Kaka, crashed on Mt Ruapehu in the centre of New Zealand's North Island while flying in clouds. The aircraft was flying from Palmerston North to Hamilton. After passing over Wanganui, the aircraft drifted right of track and collided with the mountain killing all thirteen people on board. The wreckage was located a week later near the summit. The accident highlighted the lack of air navigation radio beacons in New Zealand at the time.
Surviving aircraft
Ex-NAC Dragon Rapides, Fox Moths, and DC-3s still fly in private hands. Examples of all three types, as well as two ex-NAC Lockheed Electras, are preserved at the Museum of Transport and TechnologyMuseum of Transport and Technology
The Museum of Transport and Technology is a museum located in Western Springs, Auckland, New Zealand. It is located close to the Western Springs Stadium, Auckland Zoo and the Western Springs Park. The museum has large collections of civilian and military aircraft and other land transport vehicles...
, Auckland. A Vickers Viscount is preserved at Ferrymead
Ferrymead Heritage Park
Ferrymead Heritage Park is a museum in Christchurch, New Zealand, housing a number of groups with historical themes, the most frequent of which is transport. Formerly known as Ferrymead Historic Park, it was founded in the mid-1960s by a number of groups, local government bodies and other...
in Christchurch. One of the converted RNZAF Sunderlands is in Kermit Weeks
Kermit Weeks
Kermit Weeks is an aviation enthusiast, pilot, and aircraft collector. He was recently inducted into Florida's Aviation Hall Of Fame for his services to Florida's aviation history.Weeks was twice U.S. National Aerobatic Champion...
' aircraft collection.
Some of the ex-NAC F27 Friendships also survive, two airworthy with Airwork
Airwork
Airwork is an airline based in Auckland, New Zealand. It operates a joint venture airline, Air Post, which is 50% owned by Airwork and New Zealand Post. It also operates freight services in Australia for Toll Priority...
, based at Auckland International Airport. Another is being restored to display at Ashburton Airport, in NAC's livery introduced in 1968. Of the Boeing 737-200 fleet, moves are afoot to try repatriate the former ZK-NAD to New Zealand for static preservation. This aircraft is particularly historically significant, the sole survivor of the initial batch which revolutionised domestic travel in New Zealand.
Further reading
- Peter Aimer, Wings of the Nation: A History of the New Zealand National Airways Corporation 1947–1978, published 2000.