Pel-Air
Encyclopedia
Pel-Air Aviation Pty Ltd (trading as Pel-Air) is an airline
based in Mascot
, Sydney
, Australia
. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Regional Express Holdings
, which also owns Australian airlines Regional Express Airlines
(Rex) and Air Link.
Pel-Air specialises in air charter
and ad hoc services, operating executive charter services throughout Australasia
, as well as freight services through its subsidiary Pel-Air Express. It also operates medevac and government support services. Its main base is Sydney Airport
, with other bases at Brisbane Airport
, Darwin International Airport
, and Nowra Airport
.
The company was founded in 1984 and the following year acquired its first Westwind
aircraft. In January 1989 it commenced scheduled passenger-carrying operations in Western Australia
via subsidiary company Qwestair, initially with a leased Beech 200 Super King Air
flying between Perth
and Telfer. A Westwind replaced the King Air in March of that year and a Cessna 310
was added in January 1992 to operate between Port Hedland and Telfer via Marble Bar and Woodie Woodie. Qwestair ceased operations in November 1995 after the Perth-Telfer route was awarded to another company, and the two Westwinds then in use returned to Pel-Air operations..
Also in 1995 Pel-Air took over Newcastle Aviation, an operator of Fairchild Metro III
and leased Metro II and Mitsubishi MU-2
freighters. Following the takeover the Mitsubishis and Metro IIs were handed back to their owners and the Metro III fleet was expanded. In 1996 Pel-Air won a contract to provide support to the Royal Australian Navy
, resulting in further expansion of the fleet with the acquisition of four Learjets. In 1997 Pel-Air acquired several Metro II aircraft and on-sold them to the Royal Australian Air Force
for use as training aids at RAAF Base Wagga
near Wagga Wagga. In 2003 the company introduced a new type into its fleet when it took delivery of a leased Beech 1900C
freighter. The type proved to be more expensive to operate than the Metro III and the two aircraft in the fleet were handed back to their lessors.
In 2005 another new type was added to the fleet when Pel-Air placed an Embraer EMB-120ER Brasilia freighter into service, for use on nightly flights between Sydney and Brisbane carrying Fairfax Media
newspapers. Also in 2005 it was announced that Pel-Air would be purchased in stages by Regional Express Holdings
; the company becoming a wholly owned subsidiary in mid-2007. Also in 2007, Aspen Medical entered an existing joint venture between Pel-Air and CareFlight International
to operate air ambulance
flights out of Darwin International Airport using one of the Westwind aircraft.
In June 2008 it was announced that a Pel-Air Westwind II would be based at Perth Airport
for use as an air ambulance in conjunction with CareFlight. This service was withdrawn in June 2009. In late 2008 Pel-Air added another new type to the fleet, when it took delivery of two Saab 340A
freighters, previously operated in passenger service with the parent company's other airline subsidiary Regional Express Airlines
.
In February 2009 Pel-Air began fly-in fly-out
operations from Townsville Airport on behalf of Barrick Gold
, after the previous operator MacAir Airlines
collapsed; Pel-Air used Saab 340Bs
of sister airline Rex to provide the service. Fly-in fly-out operations expanded later that year when flights from Adelaide Airport on behalf of Iluka Resources
commenced in August under a three-year contract.
In April 2009 Regional Express Holdings announced that due to the cancellation of a number of contracts it would cease all scheduled Metro III freight operations at the end of May. Remaining scheduled freight operations would be conducted using the Saab 340As. Also in April Regional Express Holdings launched RexJet Executive Charter as a division of Pel-Air, in a rebranding and expansion of the group's existing passenger air charter business. In July 2009 the parent company announced that Pel-Air had been named as preferred tenderer for the provision of air ambulance services in Victoria. Pel-Air took over from the previous operator, the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia
, in mid-2011.
Of these aircraft, the Brasilia and the Saab 340s have been converted to freighters, while the Learjets and some of the Westwinds are operated in support of the training and operational requirements of the Royal Australian Navy
. These operations include target-towing
(for which the Learjets have been modified); simulated air attacks on warship
s; and flights ensuring that live-fire exercise areas are devoid of civilian shipping. The four King Airs operate the Victorian Air Ambulance contract.
The Saab 340As and Metro 23s were formerly operated by Regional Express Airlines on passenger services and the Metros have been modified to be quick-change freight or passenger aircraft.
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
based in Mascot
Mascot, New South Wales
Mascot is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Mascot is located 7 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the City of Botany Bay...
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Regional Express Holdings
Regional Express Holdings
Regional Express Holdings is the parent company of a number of airline and associated companies in Australia. It is based in Mascot, New South Wales and is a public listed company on the Australian Stock Exchange....
, which also owns Australian airlines Regional Express Airlines
Regional Express Airlines
Regional Express Pty Ltd is an airline based in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia. It operates scheduled regional services. It is Australia's largest regional airline outside the Qantas group of companies and serves New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, North Queensland and Tasmania...
(Rex) and Air Link.
Pel-Air specialises in air charter
Air charter
Air charter is the business of renting an entire aircraft as opposed to individual aircraft seats...
and ad hoc services, operating executive charter services throughout Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
, as well as freight services through its subsidiary Pel-Air Express. It also operates medevac and government support services. Its main base is Sydney Airport
Sydney Airport
Sydney Airport may refer to:* Sydney Airport, also known as Kingsford Smith International Airport, in Sydney, Australia* Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport, in Nova Scotia, Canada...
, with other bases at Brisbane Airport
Brisbane Airport
Brisbane Airport is the sole passenger airport serving Brisbane and the third busiest in Australia, after Melbourne and Sydney Airports. Brisbane Airport has won many awards. Located in the suburb with the same name, the airport serves the city of Brisbane and the surrounding metropolitan area...
, Darwin International Airport
Darwin International Airport
Darwin International Airport is the busiest airport serving the Northern Territory and the tenth busiest airport in Australia. It is the only airport serving Darwin....
, and Nowra Airport
HMAS Albatross (air station)
HMAS Albatross, also known as Naval Air Station Nowra , is an airfield operated by the Royal Australian Navy , in support of the RAN's aviation branch, the Fleet Air Arm...
.
History
IAI Westwind
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Frawley, Gerald. "IAI Westwind". The International Directory of Civil Aircraft 1997/98. Fyshwick ACT: Aerospace Publications, 1997. ISBN 1-875671-26-9....
aircraft. In January 1989 it commenced scheduled passenger-carrying operations in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
via subsidiary company Qwestair, initially with a leased Beech 200 Super King Air
Beechcraft Super King Air
The Beechcraft Super King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by the Beech Aircraft Corporation . The King Air line comprises a number of model series that fall into two families: the Model 90 series, Model 100 series , Model 200 series and Model 300 series...
flying between Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
and Telfer. A Westwind replaced the King Air in March of that year and a Cessna 310
Cessna 310
The Cessna 310 is an American six-seat, low-wing, twin-engined monoplane that was produced by Cessna between 1954 and 1980. It was the first twin-engined aircraft that Cessna put into production after World War II.-Development:...
was added in January 1992 to operate between Port Hedland and Telfer via Marble Bar and Woodie Woodie. Qwestair ceased operations in November 1995 after the Perth-Telfer route was awarded to another company, and the two Westwinds then in use returned to Pel-Air operations..
Also in 1995 Pel-Air took over Newcastle Aviation, an operator of Fairchild Metro III
Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner
The Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner or the Fairchild Aerospace Metro is a 19-seat, pressurised, twin turboprop airliner first produced by Swearingen Aircraft and later by Fairchild at a plant in San Antonio, Texas, United States....
and leased Metro II and Mitsubishi MU-2
Mitsubishi MU-2
The Mitsubishi MU-2 is one of postwar Japan's most successful aircraft. It is a high-wing, twin-engine turboprop, and has a pressurized cabin.-Design and development:...
freighters. Following the takeover the Mitsubishis and Metro IIs were handed back to their owners and the Metro III fleet was expanded. In 1996 Pel-Air won a contract to provide support to the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
, resulting in further expansion of the fleet with the acquisition of four Learjets. In 1997 Pel-Air acquired several Metro II aircraft and on-sold them to the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
for use as training aids at RAAF Base Wagga
RAAF Base Wagga
RAAF Base Wagga is located in the New South Wales town of Wagga Wagga, in the suburb of Forest Hill.The RAAF no longer controls the airfield which, although still owned by the Commonwealth of Australia, is currently leased to the Wagga Wagga City Council...
near Wagga Wagga. In 2003 the company introduced a new type into its fleet when it took delivery of a leased Beech 1900C
Beechcraft 1900
The Beechcraft 1900 is a 19-passenger, pressurized twin-engine turboprop airplane manufactured by the Beechcraft Division of the Raytheon Company . It was designed, and is primarily used, as a regional airliner...
freighter. The type proved to be more expensive to operate than the Metro III and the two aircraft in the fleet were handed back to their lessors.
In 2005 another new type was added to the fleet when Pel-Air placed an Embraer EMB-120ER Brasilia freighter into service, for use on nightly flights between Sydney and Brisbane carrying Fairfax Media
Fairfax Media
Fairfax Media Limited is one of Australia's largest diversified media companies. The group's operations include newspapers, magazines, radios and digital media operating in Australia and New Zealand. Fairfax Media was founded by the Fairfax family as John Fairfax and Sons, later to become John...
newspapers. Also in 2005 it was announced that Pel-Air would be purchased in stages by Regional Express Holdings
Regional Express Holdings
Regional Express Holdings is the parent company of a number of airline and associated companies in Australia. It is based in Mascot, New South Wales and is a public listed company on the Australian Stock Exchange....
; the company becoming a wholly owned subsidiary in mid-2007. Also in 2007, Aspen Medical entered an existing joint venture between Pel-Air and CareFlight International
CareFlight International Air Ambulance
CareFlight International Air Ambulance is an Australian registered charity that operates air ambulances and specialist medical teams to patients anywhere in the world. The organisation was incorporated in 1986 when its first helicopter, a Squirrel AS350B was commissioned...
to operate air ambulance
Air ambulance
An air ambulance is an aircraft used for emergency medical assistance in situations where either a traditional ambulance cannot reach the scene easily or quickly enough, or the patient needs to be transported over a distance or terrain that makes air transportation the most practical transport....
flights out of Darwin International Airport using one of the Westwind aircraft.
Perth Airport
Perth Airport is an Australian domestic and international airport serving Perth, the capital and largest city of Western Australia. The airport itself is located in the suburb of Perth Airport....
for use as an air ambulance in conjunction with CareFlight. This service was withdrawn in June 2009. In late 2008 Pel-Air added another new type to the fleet, when it took delivery of two Saab 340A
Saab 340
The Saab 340 is a discontinued Swedish two-engine turboprop aircraft designed and initially produced by a partnership between Saab and Fairchild Aircraft in a 65:35 ratio...
freighters, previously operated in passenger service with the parent company's other airline subsidiary Regional Express Airlines
Regional Express Airlines
Regional Express Pty Ltd is an airline based in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia. It operates scheduled regional services. It is Australia's largest regional airline outside the Qantas group of companies and serves New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, North Queensland and Tasmania...
.
In February 2009 Pel-Air began fly-in fly-out
Fly-in fly-out
Fly-in fly-out is a method of employing people in remote areas. It is often abbreviated to FIFO when referring to employment status. This is common in large mining states in Australia...
operations from Townsville Airport on behalf of Barrick Gold
Barrick Gold
Barrick Gold Corporation is the largest pure gold mining company in the world, with its headquarters in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and four regional business units located in Australia, Africa, North America and South America...
, after the previous operator MacAir Airlines
Macair Airlines
MacAir Airlines Pty Ltd was a regional airline based in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It operated scheduled passenger services throughout Queensland from major regional locations, as well as regular and ad hoc charters for the minerals industry in Queensland...
collapsed; Pel-Air used Saab 340Bs
Saab 340
The Saab 340 is a discontinued Swedish two-engine turboprop aircraft designed and initially produced by a partnership between Saab and Fairchild Aircraft in a 65:35 ratio...
of sister airline Rex to provide the service. Fly-in fly-out operations expanded later that year when flights from Adelaide Airport on behalf of Iluka Resources
Iluka Resources
Iluka Resources is a mining company involved in the mining and processing of titanium based and zircon products. The company mines heavy mineral sands and separates the concentrate into its individual mineral constituents rutile, ilmenite, leucoxene and zircon...
commenced in August under a three-year contract.
In April 2009 Regional Express Holdings announced that due to the cancellation of a number of contracts it would cease all scheduled Metro III freight operations at the end of May. Remaining scheduled freight operations would be conducted using the Saab 340As. Also in April Regional Express Holdings launched RexJet Executive Charter as a division of Pel-Air, in a rebranding and expansion of the group's existing passenger air charter business. In July 2009 the parent company announced that Pel-Air had been named as preferred tenderer for the provision of air ambulance services in Victoria. Pel-Air took over from the previous operator, the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia
Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia
The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia is an emergency and primary health care service for those living in rural, remote and regional areas of Australia...
, in mid-2011.
Fleet
As of August 2011 the Pel-Air fleet consists of the following aircraft:- 4 Hawker Beechcraft B200C King AirBeechcraft Super King AirThe Beechcraft Super King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by the Beech Aircraft Corporation . The King Air line comprises a number of model series that fall into two families: the Model 90 series, Model 100 series , Model 200 series and Model 300 series...
- 1 Embraer EMB-120ER Brasilia
- 4 Fairchild SA227-DC Metro 23Fairchild Swearingen MetrolinerThe Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner or the Fairchild Aerospace Metro is a 19-seat, pressurised, twin turboprop airliner first produced by Swearingen Aircraft and later by Fairchild at a plant in San Antonio, Texas, United States....
- 2 Gates Learjet 35A
- 1 Gates Learjet 36
- 1 Gates Learjet 36A
- 7 IAI 1124 WestwindIAI Westwind|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Frawley, Gerald. "IAI Westwind". The International Directory of Civil Aircraft 1997/98. Fyshwick ACT: Aerospace Publications, 1997. ISBN 1-875671-26-9....
- 1 IAI 1124A Westwind IIIAI Westwind|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Frawley, Gerald. "IAI Westwind". The International Directory of Civil Aircraft 1997/98. Fyshwick ACT: Aerospace Publications, 1997. ISBN 1-875671-26-9....
- 3 Saab 340ASaab 340The Saab 340 is a discontinued Swedish two-engine turboprop aircraft designed and initially produced by a partnership between Saab and Fairchild Aircraft in a 65:35 ratio...
Of these aircraft, the Brasilia and the Saab 340s have been converted to freighters, while the Learjets and some of the Westwinds are operated in support of the training and operational requirements of the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
. These operations include target-towing
Target tug
A target tug is an aircraft which tows an unmanned drone, a fabric drogue or other kind of target, for the purposes of gun or missile target practice. Target tugs are often conversions of transport and utility aircraft, as well as obsolescent combat types...
(for which the Learjets have been modified); simulated air attacks on warship
Warship
A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way from merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuvrable than merchant ships...
s; and flights ensuring that live-fire exercise areas are devoid of civilian shipping. The four King Airs operate the Victorian Air Ambulance contract.
The Saab 340As and Metro 23s were formerly operated by Regional Express Airlines on passenger services and the Metros have been modified to be quick-change freight or passenger aircraft.
Incidents and accidents
- On 10 October 1985 one of the company's Westwind aircraft crashed into the sea off SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
after departing Sydney AirportSydney AirportSydney Airport may refer to:* Sydney Airport, also known as Kingsford Smith International Airport, in Sydney, Australia* Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport, in Nova Scotia, Canada...
on a flight to BrisbaneBrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
; the two crewmembers were killed.
- On 27 April 1995 the company suffered a second fatal Westwind crash when one of its aircraft hit a hill on approach to Alice Springs AirportAlice Springs AirportAlice Springs Airport is a small regional airport 14 kilometres south of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia.The airport has two runways, the largest of which can accommodate a Boeing 747 or 777 landing...
, killing the three occupants.
- On 18 November 2009 a third Westwind, a 1124A Westwind II, was written-off near Norfolk Island during an air ambulance flight from Apia to MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
on behalf of CareFlightCareFlight International Air AmbulanceCareFlight International Air Ambulance is an Australian registered charity that operates air ambulances and specialist medical teams to patients anywhere in the world. The organisation was incorporated in 1986 when its first helicopter, a Squirrel AS350B was commissioned...
. The aircraft was scheduled to land at Norfolk Island to refuel but weather conditions there had deteriorated while it was en-route. After several abortive landing attempts the crew successfully ditchedWater landingA water landing is, in the broadest sense, any landing on a body of water. All waterfowl, those seabirds capable of flight, and some human-built vehicles are capable of landing in water as a matter of course....
in open sea in darkness and bad weather. All six occupants were rescued.