Airlines Of New South Wales
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Airlines of New South Wales (also known as Air New South Wales, Ansett NSW and Ansett Express) callsign "NEWSOUTH" was an Australian domestic
regional airline A regional airline is a general classification of airline which typically operates scheduled passenger air service, using regional aircraft, between communities lacking sufficient demand or infrastructure to attract mainline flights. In North ...
that operated from 1959 until its merger into
Ansett Ansett Australia was a major Australian airline group, based in Melbourne, Australia. The airline flew domestically within Australia and from the 1990s to destinations in Asia. After operating for 65 years, the airline was placed into adminis ...
in 1993. It was formed by
Reg Ansett Sir Reginald Myles Ansett KBE (13 February 1909 – 23 December 1981) was an Australian businessman and aviator. He was best known for founding Ansett Transport Industries, which owned one of Australia's two leading domestic airlines between ...
's takeover of
Butler Air Transport Butler Air Transport was an Australian airline founded by C. Arthur Butler to operate air transport primarily among New South Wales airports in Australia, from 1934 until 1959.
. Airlines of New South Wales operated air passenger services in
New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...
, and later in other Australian states. In 1964–65 the airline fought a High Court case,
Airlines of New South Wales Pty Ltd v New South Wales (No 2) ''Airlines of New South Wales Pty Ltd v New South Wales (No 2)'',. was a High Court of Australia case about the validity of Commonwealth regulations about intrastate air navigation. Although the Commonwealth has the power to regulate interstate ...
, that was significant in adjudicating the spheres of constitutional power of the
national National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...
and
state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...
governments in respect of air navigation.


History

In the late 1950s,
Reg Ansett Sir Reginald Myles Ansett KBE (13 February 1909 – 23 December 1981) was an Australian businessman and aviator. He was best known for founding Ansett Transport Industries, which owned one of Australia's two leading domestic airlines between ...
was expanding the operations of his company, Ansett Transport Industries (ATI), in the Australian domestic aviation market. Ansett wanted to acquire Arthur Butler's company,
Butler Air Transport Butler Air Transport was an Australian airline founded by C. Arthur Butler to operate air transport primarily among New South Wales airports in Australia, from 1934 until 1959.
, but Butler refused a deal that would have given Butler a seat on ATI's board. Ansett had already acquired a 40 percent interest in Butler Air Transport when he had purchased the ailing
Australian National Airways Australian National Airways (ANA) was Australia's predominant aerial carrier from the mid-1930s to the early 1950s. The Holyman's Airways period On 19 March 1932 Flinders Island Airways began a regular aerial service using the Desoutter Mk.I ...
in 1957. Reg Ansett, in what one author described as "a spectacular initiative", then used nine of his own aircraft to fly Ansett nominee shareholders to a Butler Air Transport meeting, taking over the company from Arthur Butler. After a legal battle, Ansett gained full control of Butler Air Transport in 1958. The company was renamed as Airlines of New South Wales on 17 December 1959, and flew its first commercial flight on 19 December that year. The airline operated services from Sydney to regional New South Wales centres, and later to other Australian cities. In 1964, Airlines of New South Wales was a subsidiary of
Ansett Transport Industries Ansett Australia was a major Australian airline group, based in Melbourne, Australia. The airline flew domestically within Australia and from the 1990s to destinations in Asia. After operating for 65 years, the airline was placed into admini ...
. In 1968 or 1969 it was renamed Ansett Airlines of New South Wales, which at the time of the Australian government's 1978 Domestic Air Policy Transport Review was one of five regional airlines operating in Australia. In 1981 the airline was renamed Air New South Wales; in March 1990 it was renamed Ansett NSW and later that year it was again re-badged as Ansett Express, which in 1993 was merged into Ansett, ending Airlines of New South Wales' history as a separate entity. In addition to providing scheduled passenger services, the airline also conducted tourist operations, with actor
Steve Dodd Steve Dodd (1 June 1928 – 10 November 2014) was an Indigenous Australian actor, notable for playing indigenous characters across seven decades of Australian film. After beginning his working life as a stockman and rodeo rider, Dodd was g ...
working for it as a guide in central Australia in the late 1960s and early 1970s.


High Court case

In the 1960s, Airlines of New South Wales was at the centre of an
Australian High Court The High Court of Australia is Australia's apex court. It exercises original and appellate jurisdiction on matters specified within Australia's Constitution. The High Court was established following passage of the ''Judiciary Act 1903''. It ...
case about the powers of the
state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...
and
national National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...
governments to regulate aviation. Airlines of New South Wales and East West Airlines were two commercial airlines operating services in regional New South Wales.
Jack Renshaw John Brophy Renshaw AC (8 August 190928 July 1987) was an Australian politician. He was Labor Premier of New South Wales from 30 April 1964 to 13 May 1965. He was the first New South Wales Premier born in the 20th century. Early life Jack Re ...
's New South Wales government was seeking to manage the allocation of routes between airlines, threatening to reduce the number of routes available to Airlines of New South Wales. Airlines of New South Wales had a Commonwealth licence to operate flights between Sydney and Dubbo, but did not have a licence under newly passed state laws regulating aviation. On 23 October 1964, the airline sought an injunction from the High Court to prevent New South Wales from enforcing laws that would prevent it from servicing the Sydney to Dubbo route. On 26 October the airline increased the pressure, by operating—at a financial loss—an indirect route to Dubbo via Canberra, thus crossing a state border and therefore seeking to avoid the application of the New South Wales laws. On 3 February 1965 the court, in ''
Airlines of New South Wales Pty Ltd v New South Wales (No 2) ''Airlines of New South Wales Pty Ltd v New South Wales (No 2)'',. was a High Court of Australia case about the validity of Commonwealth regulations about intrastate air navigation. Although the Commonwealth has the power to regulate interstate ...
'', found that air navigation within a state can be regulated by the Commonwealth to the extent that it provides for the safety of, or prevention of physical interference with, interstate or foreign air navigation. While Airlines of New South Wales won the case, as late as 1984 Airlines of New South Wales (by then trading as Air New South Wales) was continuing to share the New South Wales regional market with East West Airlines, with each having a monopoly over certain intrastate air passenger markets.


Fleet

*
de Havilland Dragon The de Havilland DH.84 Dragon is a successful small commercial aircraft that was designed and built by the de Havilland company. Design and construction Following the commercial success of its single-engined de Havilland Fox Moth that had fir ...
* de Havilland DH.114 Heron *
Douglas DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper version ...
(including Wright Cyclone powered & engined Douglas C-47 Dakota + DC-3 Viewmaster conversion aircraft) *
Douglas C-54 Skymaster The Douglas C-54 Skymaster is a four-engined transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces in World War II and the Korean War. Like the Douglas C-47 Skytrain derived from the DC-3, the C-54 Skymaster was derived from a civilian a ...
*
Convair 440 The Convair CV-240 is an American airliner that Convair manufactured from 1947 to 1954, initially as a possible replacement for the ubiquitous Douglas DC-3. Featuring a more modern design with cabin pressurization, the 240 series made some inroa ...
* Short S.25 Sandringham & Ansett AFBS Conversion Sunderland Flying Boats (managed and operated for
Ansett Flying Boat Services Ansett Australia was a major Australian airline group, based in Melbourne, Australia. The airline flew domestically within Australia and from the 1990s to destinations in Asia. After operating for 65 years, the airline was placed into adminis ...
) *
Fokker F27 Friendship The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner developed and manufactured by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker. It is the most numerous post-war aircraft manufactured in the Netherlands; the F27 was also one of the most successful Europe ...
*
Fokker F28 Fellowship The Fokker F28 Fellowship is a twin-engined, short-range jet airliner designed and built by Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker. Following the Fokker F27 Friendship, an early and commercially successful turboprop-powered regional airliner, Fokker ...
(only jet aircraft type operated by the airline) *
Fokker 50 The Fokker 50 is a turboprop-powered airliner, designed as an improved version of the successful Fokker F27 Friendship. The Fokker 60 is a stretched freighter version of the Fokker 50. Both aircraft were manufactured and supported by Dutch airc ...


Destinations

In 1963, the airline commenced services to
Bathurst, New South Wales Bathurst () is a city in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. Bathurst is about 200 kilometres (120 mi) west-northwest of Sydney and is the seat of the Bathurst Regional Council. Bathurst is the oldest inland settlement in ...
, and was the city airport terminal's first tenant. In 1988–90 in an attempt to find new economic routes for its Fokker F.28 Fellowship Jets to operate profitably, the airline as Air NSW & then Ansett NSW, flew to additional destinations outside the State of NSW including Devonport, Tasmania, & Launceston, Tasmania ; & Maroochydore (later Sunshine Coast Airport), Queensland.


Incidents

* On 12 December 1960, a
Douglas DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper version ...
crashed at sea during a pilot training flight, with the loss of three lives. On 1 April 1965, a
Douglas C-47 The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in f ...
on a scheduled passenger flight crashed. The plane was written off, but there were no fatalities. * There was also an incident in 1986 involving an F27. Passengers on a Sydney-bound flight from Dubbo were prepared for an emergency landing as Dubbo staff had found a nose wheel component on the runway. Passengers prepared for an emergency landing and were instructed to brace as it was thought the nose wheel would fail. The plane landed safely and was then inspected by engineering on the apron at Sydney airport.


See also

*
List of defunct airlines of Australia This is a list of defunct airlines of Australia. See also * List of airlines of Australia * List of airports in Australia References Further reading * {{List of defunct airlines * #Australia Airlines An airline is a company ...
*
Aviation in Australia Aviation in Australia began in the 1920s with the formation of Qantas, which became the flag carrier of Australia. The Australian National Airways (ANA) was the predominant domestic carrier from the mid-1930s to the early 1950s. After World War ...


Notes


References

* John Gunn, 1999. ''Contested skies: Trans-Australian Airlines, Australian Airlines, 1946–1992''. John Gunn. .


External links


Air Times website
operated by air timetable collectors, showing images of historical timetables issued by Airlines of New South Wales. {{Authority control Defunct airlines of Australia Ansett Australia Australian companies disestablished in 1993 Australian companies established in 1959 Airlines disestablished in 1993 Airlines established in 1959