Air Queensland, formerly Bush Pilots Airways, was an Australian airline which operated from 1951 until 1988.

History

Bush Pilots Airways was formed in 1951 and operated in Queensland,

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 ...

until 1988. Its first aircraft was a De Haviland DH-90 "Dragonfly" registered as VH-AAD. This was purchased from Adastra Airways Ltd in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

in 1951 and flown to

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 by Bush Pilots founder Bob Norman."Bush Pilot", Bob Norman, 1976 In 1963 Bush Pilots Airways acquired Somerset Airways which was established in 1950 and operated out of Longreach Airport with

Auster J-1N Alpha The Auster J/1 Autocrat was a 1940s British single-engined three-seat high-wing touring monoplane built by Auster Aircraft Limited at Rearsby, Leicestershire. History As the end of the Second World War approached, the designers at Taylorcraf ...

and

Beech Bonanza The Beechcraft Bonanza is an American general aviation aircraft introduced in 1947 by Beechcraft, Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. The six-seater, single-engined aircraft is still being produced by Beechcraft and has been in con ...

In May 1972 Bush Pilots absorbed Queensland Pacific Airways Ltd, taking over its

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 ...

aircraft. In 1978 Bush Pilots Airways changed their name to BPA. BPA operated Douglas DC-3 aircraft, Britten-Norman Trislanders and Swearingen Metroliners. Operations were largely in Queensland, Australia, although the airline also provided service to Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory. The services north from Brisbane (and return) were very popular with business travellers and tourists alike. A typical run involved stops in regional cities between Brisbane and Townsville, such as Maroochydore, Maryborough,

Bundaberg Bundaberg is a city in the Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia, and is the tenth largest city in the state. Bundaberg's regional area has a population of 70,921, and is a major centre of the Wide Bay–Burnett geographical region. The Bun ...

Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...

Rockhampton Rockhampton is a city in the Rockhampton Region of Central Queensland, Australia. The population of Rockhampton in June 2021 was 79,967, Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. making it the fourth-largest city in the state outside of the ...

, and

Mackay Mackay may refer to: *Clan Mackay, the Scottish clan from which the surname "MacKay" derives Mackay may also refer to: Places Australia * Mackay Region, a local government area ** Mackay, Queensland, a city in the above region *** Mackay Airport ...

. Short-distance services operated from Cairns to inland and coastal locations such as Cooktown, Karumba and Normanton. With such frequent stops a high altitude was never achieved, offering good views of this scenic part of the state. On 1 December 1981 BPA became Air Queensland. Air Queensland was the last airline in Australia to use Douglas DC-3s on regular scheduled services, the last being withdrawn on 7 April 1988. The Air Queensland name ceased to exist on 30 April 1988 when the airline was absorbed into Australian Airlines (later absorbed into Qantas). The last General Manager was Ron Entsch. A Douglas DC-3 formerly operated by Bush Pilots Airways was on display at

Cairns International 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 ...

from 1984 until 2008, when it was removed due to concerns over its structural integrity. By 1988 Air Queensland served 44 destinations throughout Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Queensland Pacific Airways

''Queensland Pacific Airways'' was a trading name of ''Queensland Pacific Trading Company''. It acquired DC-3 aircraft when Qantas disposed of its last Douglas DC-3s in 1971. In 1972, it was absorbed by Bush Pilots Airways (BPA), which eventually became Air Queensland.

Fleet

ATR 42 The ATR 42 is a regional airliner produced by Franco-Italian manufacturer ATR, with final assembly in Toulouse, France. On 4 November 1981, the aircraft was launched with ATR, as a joint venture between French Aérospatiale (now Airbus) and ...

* Britten-Norman Trislander * Cessna 404 Titan *

de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter The de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada, which produced the aircraft from 1965 to 1988; Viking Air purchased the type certificate, then restarted ...

* Fairchild Metro *

Fokker F.27 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 ...

with 9 aircraft operated through its history. * GAF Nomad

References

External links

*
Air Queensland data
{{Airlines of Australia Defunct airlines of Australia Airlines established in 1951 Airlines disestablished in 1988 1951 establishments in Australia

History

Queensland Pacific Airways

Fleet

See also

References

External links