Straits Air Freight Express (SAFE) is a cargo airline, established in 1950, named for the fact that it encompassed Cook Strait and connected the North Island and South Island (of New Zealand) railway systems during the 1950s to the 1970s.
The main aircraft type that the company operated was the Bristol Type 170 Freighter Mk.31. They designed the "cargon" system - a pallet and transfer system using modified railway flatcars to allow trucked loads to be transferred directly into the nose doorway of the tail-wheeled aircraft. This reduced the turn-around time of 10 tonne unload/load cycles to less than 10 minutes. For the times that was an extremely fast cycle.
The company also operated two much larger Armstrong Whitworth AW.660 Argosy aircraft.
New Zealand's most eastern home islands, the Chathams Group was link with air freight as well as passenger services using a unique removable passenger pod that could be placed into the hold of the Bristol Freighter. Extra sound insulation was used to drown out the mighty Hercules engines and earplugs provided. Flight times were approximately three hours
In 1982 when the paved runway at Tu-uta Point was built, the AW.660 Argosy was placed into service with a far more comfortable passenger pod based on the cabin of a Boeing 737. The pod still exists today, placed in the hold of ZK-SAE.
When flying operations ceased in 1990, Air Chathams was founded to keep the air route open after Air New Zealand pulled out in 1992.
The company, renamed Safe Air Limited in 1966, diversified into aviation maintenance. in 1972 it was bought by the National Airways Corporation, which then merged with Air New Zealand. Safe Air continued to be operated as an independent entity by both owners. It ceased flying in 1990, but has continued to expand and now employs approximately 350 staff.
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