Tasman Cargo Airlines

Tasman Cargo Airlines Pty. Limited is a cargo airline based in Sydney, Australia. It operates scheduled international cargo services on behalf of DHL and ad hoc domestic and international cargo charters. Its corporate headquarters is at Mascot, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney and the location of Sydney Airport, and its sole aircraft is based at Auckland Airport in New Zealand.

History

Former Tasman Cargo Airlines' Boeing 727 taxiing at Sydney Airport

Tasman Cargo Airlines commenced operations as Premier Airlines on 5 September 1994, headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria and flying a Boeing 727-100 freighter on behalf of DHL. Due to International Civil Aviation Organization "Stage III" aircraft noise restrictions this aircraft was withdrawn from service the following year and a Boeing 727-200 was acquired.^[2] In late 1996 Premier Airlines changed its name to Asian Express Airlines to better reflect its role in flying for DHL in the Asian region, and moved its headquarters to Auckland Airport.^[3] The airline's domicile in New Zealand was short-lived; it was established at its current location by early 1998.^[4] On 1 October 2008 the airline changed its name from Asian Express Airlines to the current Tasman Cargo Airlines.^[5] As it has operated only one aircraft the airline has used other operators' aircraft when its own was scheduled for maintenance. These other operators have included Pel-Air,^[6] Transmile Air Services and HeavyLift Cargo Airlines.

Destinations

Tasman Cargo Airlines operates regular scheduled cargo services on behalf of DHL Express from Auckland to Sydney and return. These services operate on Monday - Thursday nights and on Saturdays during daylight hours. It also has approval to operate services to Nouméa and Melbourne^[7] (the airline flew scheduled once-weekly services between Auckland and Nouméa's La Tontouta International Airport on behalf of Aircalin^[6] until late 2002). A significant part of the airline's business is the carriage of racehorses across the Tasman Sea.^[8]

Fleet

As of September 2010 Tasman Cargo Airlines leases one Boeing 757-200SF freighter from DHL Air UK, pending acquisition of its own 757.^[9] The leased aircraft replaced the airline's previously-operated Boeing 727-200 freighter, retired on 31 August 2010 ahead of new Australian aircraft noise regulations taking effect the following day. This was the last Boeing 727 registered in Australia.^[9]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tasman Cargo Airlines.

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