Lip-Air Pty Ltd,

operating as A trade name, trading name, or business name, is a pseudonym used by companies that do not operate under their registered company name. The term for this type of alternative name is a "fictitious" business name. Registering the fictitious name w ...

Aero-Tropics Air Services (ATAS), was an

airline An airline is a company that provides civil aviation, air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines use aircraft to supply these services and may form partnerships or Airline alliance, alliances with other airlines for ...

based in

Cairns Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. Its main base was

Cairns Airport Cairns Airport is an international airport in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Formerly operated by the Cairns Port Authority, the airport was sold by the Queensland Government in December 2008 to a private consortium. It is the seventh busiest ...

, with its operating hub at

Horn Island Airport Horn Island Airport is an airport on Horn Island in the Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia. World War II The Civil Constructional Corps and the Department of Main Roads began construction of an advanced operational airbase on the island ...

History

Lip-Air Pty Ltd was a privately owned company established by the Lippmann family in 1995. The company's Aero Tropics Air Services (ATAS) division started operating

air charter Air charter is the business of renting an entire aircraft (i.e., chartering) as opposed to individual aircraft seats (i.e., purchasing a airline ticket, ticket through a traditional airline). Regulation Charter – also called air taxi or ad h ...

s in 1997, serving the region of

Torres Strait The Torres Strait (), also known as Zenadh Kes, is a strait between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea. It is wide at its narrowest extent. To the south is Cape York Peninsula, the northernmost extremity of the Australian mai ...

, Cape York and the

Gulf of Carpentaria The Gulf of Carpentaria (, ) is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the eastern Arafura Sea (the body of water that lies between Australia and New Guinea). The northern boundary is ...

. ATAS obtained a Regular Public Transport licence in February 2000 from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and began operating daily scheduled services to/ from and between the Torres Strait Islands. In March 2007 it had 50 employees. It grew from one 5-seat

Partenavia P.68 The Partenavia P.68, now Vulcanair P68, is a light aircraft designed by Luigi Pascale and initially built by Italian Partenavia. It made its first flight on 25 May 1970, its type certification was granted on 17 November 1971 and was transferred ...

aircraft based on Coconut Island to a fleet of eighteen aircraft based at Karumba, Horn Island and Cairns. As of November 2008 it operated scheduled domestic services to 12 destinations in the

Torres Strait Islands The Torres Strait Islands are a group of at least 274 small islands in the Torres Strait, a waterway separating far northern continental Australia's Cape York Peninsula and the island of New Guinea. They span an area of , but their total land ...

. In late June 2008 the airline was grounded for five days by the

Civil Aviation Safety Authority The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) is the Australian national authority for the regulation of civil aviation. Although distinct from the government, it reports to the Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. CASA is responsibl ...

(CASA). As a result, the

Queensland Government The Queensland Government is the democratic administrative authority of the Australian state of Queensland. The Government of Queensland, a parliamentary constitutional monarchy was formed in 1859 as prescribed in its Constitution, as amended fr ...

removed the Government contract for Aero-Tropics delivering mail and some supplies, flying to many remote Cape York towns. The contract was awarded to West Wing Aviation. In October 2008 CASA grounded the airline again after two incidents on successive days prompted concerns about the airline's training and supervision of its pilots. The second grounding proved to be permanent, as the airline went into liquidation the following month.

Incidents and accidents

Fleet

As of July 2008, the Aero-Tropics Air Services (ATAS) fleet consisted of: * 4 Aero Commander 500S Shrike Commander * 1 Beechcraft King Air B200 * 6 Britten-Norman BN2A Islander * 2

Cessna 208B Grand Caravan The Cessna 208 Caravan is a utility aircraft produced by Cessna. The project was commenced on November 20, 1981, and the prototype first flew on December 9, 1982. The production model was certified by the FAA in October 1984 and its Cargoma ...

At the time of liquidation, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) showed that the airline owned the following aircraft: As the airline no longer exists, conducting a search now does not produce the same result. * 5 Britten-Norman BN2A Islander * 2 Aero Commander 500S Shrike Commander * 2

Piper PA-31 Navajo The Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of cabin-class, twin-engined aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft for the general aviation market, most using Lycoming engines. It was also license-built in a number of Latin American countries. Tar ...

* 2

* 1 Cessna 172N

Destinations

As of July 2008, Aero-Tropics Air Services (ATAS) operated scheduled domestic services to the following destinations: #

Badu Island Badu or Badu Island (; mwp, Badhu, ; also Mulgrave Island), is an island in the Torres Strait north of Thursday Island, Queensland, Australia. Badu Island is also a locality in the Torres Strait Island Region, and Wakaid is the only town, lo ...

–

Badu Island Airport Badu Island Airport is an airport on Badu Island, Queensland, Australia. See also * List of airports in Queensland This is a list of airports in the Australian state of Queensland. __TOC__ List of airports The list is sorted by the nam ...

Boigu Island Boigu Island (also known as Malu Kiyay or Malu Kiwai) is the most northerly inhabited island of Queensland and of Australia. It is part of the Top Western group of the Torres Strait Islands, which lie in the Torres Strait separating Cape York Pe ...

–

Boigu Island Airport Boigu Island Airport is an airport serving Boigu Island in Queensland, Australia. It was officially opened as the Charlie Gibuma Memorial Airstrip on 26 July 1981 by Hon. Ken Tomkins, then Queensland Minister for Aboriginal and Island Affairs. ...

–

# Coconut Island (Poruma Island) –

Coconut Island Airport Coconut Island Airport is an airport located on Coconut Island (Poruma Island) in Queensland, Australia. Airlines and destinations Accident and incident On 16 January 1999, Uzu Air Britten-Norman Islander VH-XFF was operating a passe ...

Darnley Island Darnley Island or ''Erub'' in the native Papuan language, Meriam Mir, is an island formed by volcanic action and situated in the eastern section of the Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia. It is one of the Torres Strait Islands and is loc ...

(Erub Island) –

Darnley Island Airport Darnley Island Airport is an airport in Darnley Island, Queensland, Australia. Airlines and destinations See also * List of airports in Queensland This is a list of airports in the Australian state of Queensland. __TOC__ List of a ...

# Horn Island –

(hub) # Kubin Village (

Moa Island Moa Island, also called Banks Island, is an island of the Torres Strait Islands archipelago that is located north of Thursday Island in the Banks Channel of Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia. It is also a locality within the Torres Strait ...

) –

Kubin Airport Kubin Airport is an airfield near Kubin, a village on Moa Island, one of the Torres Strait Islands in Queensland, Australia. Facilities The airport is at an elevation of above sea level. It has one runway designated 11/29 which measures . D ...

Mabuiag Island Mabuiag, also known as "Mabuyag" and natively "Mabuyaagi", formerly "Jervis Island") is one of the Torres Strait Islands in Queensland, Australia. Mabuiag is also a town and locality in the Torres Strait Island Region local government area. I ...

–

Mabuiag Island Airport Mabuiag Island Airport is an airport on Mabuiag Island, Queensland, Australia. The airport received $52,422 in funds for security updates in 2006. It has Australia's shortest runway in commercial service. Airlines and destinations See also * ...

# Murray Island –

Murray Island Airport Murray Island Airport is an airport on Murray Island, in Queensland, Australia. Airlines and destinations See also * List of airports in Queensland This is a list of airports in the Australian state of Queensland. __TOC__ List o ...

Saibai Island Saibai Island, often shortened to just Saibai ( mwp, Saybay), is an island of the Torres Strait Islands archipelago, located in the Torres Strait of Queensland, Australia. The island is situated north of the Australian mainland and south of the ...

–

Saibai Island Airport Saibai Island Airport is an airport on Saibai Island, Queensland, Australia. Airlines and destinations See also * List of airports in Queensland This is a list of airports in the Australian state of Queensland. __TOC__ List of air ...

# Warraber Island (Sue Islet) –

Warraber Island Airport Warraber Island Airport is an airport in Sue Islet, Queensland, Australia. It was named Nelson Airport and officially opened on 26 November 1977. Airlines and destinations See also *List of airports in Queensland This is a list of air ...

# Yam Island (Iama Island) –

Yam Island Airport Yam Island Airport is an airport in Yam Island, Queensland, Australia. Airlines and destinations See also * List of airports in Queensland This is a list of airports in the Australian state of Queensland. __TOC__ List of airports ...

# Yorke Island –

Yorke Island Airport Yorke Island Airport is an airport in Yorke Island, Queensland, Australia. Airlines and destinations See also *List of airports in Queensland This is a list of airports in the Australian state of Queensland. __TOC__ List of airp ...

References

{{Airlines of Australia Airlines established in 1995 Far North Queensland Airlines disestablished in 2008 Defunct airlines of Australia Transport in Cairns