Island Air Charters is an air charter company based in Tauranga, New Zealand. The company is owned by Paul Ensor and offers charter services around the Bay of Plenty using Cessna light aircraft.

History

The airline commenced in August 1995 when its owner, Paul Ensor, acquired a Cessna P206 Super Skylane. In November 1996 a Cessna TU206A was added to the fleet. This was followed in November by a Cessna 172N. In September another Cessna 172K was added. In 2001 a Cessna U206C joined the fleet. By 2004 the fleet consisted of a Cessna TU206A and Cessna 172K. To these, in October, was added a twin-engine Britten-Norman BN-2A-27 Islander.http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2011/10/motiti-airline-island-air-charter.html compiled by Bruce Garvin September 2011 Because of the increase in carrying capacity Island Air began advertising a regular summer service in 2005 from Tauranga to Great Barrier Island via Whitianga two days a week. In 2006 a third flight was added. This increase in flying and aircraft maintenance needs saw the

Civil Aviation Authority A civil aviation authority (CAA) is a national or supranational statutory authority that oversees the regulation of civil aviation, including the maintenance of an aircraft register. Role Due to the inherent dangers in the use of flight vehicles, ...

suspending Island Air's operating licence in November 2006 over unauthorised maintenance being carried out on the company's aircraft. A new maintenance controller and chief executive were appointed to address the issues, however, the operator's problems compounded the following month when the

Britten-Norman Islander The Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander is a British light utility aircraft and regional airliner designed and originally manufactured by Britten-Norman of the United Kingdom. Still in production, the Islander is one of the best-selling commercial air ...

suffered two forced landings on 22 and 28 December 2006. The second forced landing ended with the aircraft crash landing on mudflats in the Te Puna estuary at Omokoroa near Tauranga on 28 December 2006 while being flown by Paul Ensor. Nobody was injured. In 2007 Ensor was fined $10,000 after fitting a cracked landing gear component back on an aircraft after maintenance engineers had banned its use. In order to keep flying Island Air used the operating licenses of other companies.

Fleet

Island Air Charters' fleet consists of the following aircraft: *1 Cessna U206G *1 Cessna 172K *1 Cessna 172M

Previous aircraft

*1 Cessna P206 *1 Cessna TU206A * Britten Norman Islander

Services

The airline provides a regular shuttle service to

Mōtītī Island Mōtītī Island is an island in the Bay of Plenty, off the coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is north-east of Papamoa Beach on the mainland and north-east of Tauranga. There were 18 homes occupied by 27 people on the island in the 2006 ...

, air charter, air taxi, and scenic flights.

References

External links