Niue Airlines

Niue Airlines was an airline in Niue, established in 1990. It serviced the Auckland-Niue route weekly,[1] and later fortnightly,[2] until its closure in 1992. The route was operated by a chartered Air Nauru 737[3] and carried mail.[4] Flights were sometimes cancelled if passenger numbers or freight was not enough to fund the flight.[2][5] The airline was majority New Zealand-owned (with some Niuean investment).[3]

The airline's uniforms were designed by Dutch-New Zealand fashion designer Doris De Pont.[6] Niue Airlines was not linked to any international booking system, and so tickets could only be purchased at ticket offices, one of which was located in Auckland.[7] The IATA code of the airline was FN.[8]

in October 1990, Niue Airlines flew twenty-three pupils (and their parents and teachers) to the island after discovering it had 40 vacant seats on a flight. The group from Three Kings Primary School in Auckland, whose travel was arranged at no cost, was greeted with garlands of flowers, appeared on local television, had a short swim in the ocean and were then farewelled by Premier Sir Robert Rex after a whirlwind trip.[9]

In 1991, services were operated from Auckland to Niue, and returned via Tonga.

Towards the end of the airline's life, services were only operated between Pago Pago and Niue using a nine-seat Beechcraft King Air.[10] Travelling from Auckland to Niue then required stopovers in Apia and Pago Pago. The airline ceased to operate in late 1992, when, after the Niuean government refused to provide bank guarantees for the purchase of aviation fuel, they defaulted on a fuel bill and their licence was cancelled.[1][2]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Stanley, David (1993). South Pacific Handbook. David Stanley. ISBN 9780918373991. Retrieved 2015-04-21.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Levine, Steven (Spring 1993). "Polynesia in review : issues and events, 1 July 1991 to 30 June 1992" (PDF). Contemporary Pacific : a Journal of Island Affairs. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Crocombe, R. G. (1992). Pacific Neighbours: New Zealand's Relations with Other Pacific Islands : Aotearoa Me Nga Moutere O Te Moana Nui a Kiwa. editorips@usp.ac.fj. ISBN 9789820200784. Retrieved 2015-04-21.
  4. ↑ Distance edu Different Countries. APH Publishing. ISBN 9788131303030. Retrieved 2015-04-21.
  5. ↑ "Coral Air Niue — Civil Aviation Forum | Airliners.net". www.airliners.net. Retrieved 2015-04-21.
  6. ↑ "Object: Doris de Pont and DNA Clothing show cards | Collections Online - Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa". collections.tepapa.govt.nz. Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  7. ↑ Buch, Boudewijn (2014-05-06). Rond de wereld in 160 eilanden: de mooiste eilandverhalen van Boudewijn Buch (in Dutch). Singel Uitgeverijen. ISBN 9789029588089. Retrieved 2015-04-21.
  8. ↑ "International Airlines Serving New Zealand". homepages.ihug.co.nz. Retrieved 2015-04-21.
  9. ↑ "Standard-Speaker from Hazleton, Pennsylvania · Page 6". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2015-04-27.
  10. ↑ "NIUE NERVOUS OVER SAMOA AIRLINE MERGER - May 31, 2005". pidp.eastwestcenter.org. Retrieved 2015-04-21.