A Sounds Air Cessna Caravan at Wellington International Airport in 2009Sounds Air Grand Caravan landing at Picton in 2006.A Sounds Air Grand Caravan at Christchurch Airport in 2014.One of Sounds Air's PC12's (ZK-PLV) at Wellington International.
Sounds Air is a New Zealand airline based in Marlborough.[2] The airline was founded in 1986 by Cliff and Diane Marchant to provide low cost flights to the Marlborough Sounds.[3] The airline's head office as well as its Sounds Aero Maintenance division is based at Omaka aerodrome.[4]
History
From a single Cessna Caravan operating one route across the Cook Strait, Sounds Air has grown in 30 years; the airline carried 78,000 passengers in 2015, compared to 14,000 passengers in 2003. In 2008 the airline set up its own maintenance division as the airline could not find a company suitable to maintain its fleet.[5] In 2017, Sounds Air signalled that they were looking at buying twin engine planes for the first time: up to three 19-seater Beech 1900 aircraft to support extra demand for the Blenheim to Christchurch route.[6]
Services
Sounds Air operates scheduled flights between Wellington and Picton, Nelson, Blenheim, Taupō and Westport.[7][8] Scheduled flights are also available between Blenheim and Christchurch,[9][10]Wānaka and Paraparaumu. Nelson also has flights to Paraparaumu.[11] Sounds Air formerly served Kaikoura, Napier and Whanganui[12] from Wellington, Napier from Blenheim and Kāpiti Coast from Picton.[13] A service to Masterton was being considered from Wellington, however no such service eventuated, because the town wanted the link to Auckland reinstated instead.[14]
In addition to scheduled flights Sounds Air offers scenic flights over the Marlborough Sounds and Abel Tasman National Park.[15]
The airline started temporary services to Kaikoura from Christchurch and Blenheim on 21 November 2016 following the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake.[16] The Kaikoura to Christchurch flights ceased from 27 January 2017[17] followed by the Blenheim flights on 29 December 2017. From this date onwards Kaikoura will become a charter route only.[18] Sounds Air commenced Christchurch to Wānaka another former Air New Zealand route on 2 November 2020.[19]
On 18 October 2024 Sounds Air decided to pull out of Westport because of high costs and lack of support from the government but then Originair stepped in to serve Westport from Wellington. A month later Sounds Air decided to pull out of Taupo because of high costs and lack of support from the government but then Originair stepped in to serve Taupo from Wellington.
Destinations
Sounds Air operates scheduled services to the following destinations within New Zealand:
As of May 2024 the Sounds Air fleet consists of ten aircraft.[22] 6 Pilatus PC-12's which are a pressurized, single-engined, turboprop aircraft manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Stans, Switzerland since 1991. It was designed as a high-performance utility aircraft powered by the Pratt & Whitney PT6A turboprop. They incorporate a large aft cargo door in addition to the main passenger door. It is configured in a 9 seat commuter configuration with 1-1 arrangement. And 4 Cessna 208 Caravan's which are strutted, high wing aircraft with an unpressurized cabin. They are powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A tractor turboprop and have a fixed tricycle landing gear. 2 of the 4 are 208's which seat 12 people in a 1–2 configuration with a 2 person bench seat in the aft section. The 2 others are the stretched 208B's which seat 13 people in a 1–2 configuration.
On 28 September 2020, the airline signed a letter of intent to Swedish company Heart Aerospace to purchase their ES-19 electric aircraft once it comes available, scheduled for 2026. The airline hopes the ES-19 will be able to make them the first regional airline to offer Zero-emissions flights.[23] In 2022 this was upgraded to the ES-30.[24]
Accidents and incidents
On 19 March 1989 Britten Norman BN2A Islander, ZK-SFE, while attempting to land at Tiraora Lodge struck a telephone wire and descended into the sea. The pilot and five passengers were rescued but suffered varying degrees of injury.[25]
On 29 January 1996 Cessna 208 Caravan, ZK-SFA, crashed into the eastern slopes of Mount Robertson on approach to Picton Aerodrome at Koromiko after a flight from Wellington. All five passengers were killed, but the pilot survived.[26]
References
^ abNot an ICAO allocation – issued for domestic use by the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand
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