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Vanair was a domestic airline based in Vanuatu. The airline flew to 29 destinations on 18 of Vanuatu's 83 islands, and was wholly owned by the Vanuatu government.
The airline commenced operations as Air Melanesiæ in 1965 as a joint venture between two existing airlines, the British-owned New Hebrides Airways (founded in 1963) and French-owned Société Néo-Hébridaise de Transports Aériens, known as Hebridair (founded 1964).Pierre Bourgeois biographical information
retrieved 18 November 2009 New Hebrides Airways contributed a de Havilland Australia DHA-3 Drover to the operation, while Hebridair provided a Dornier Do 28, however the Do 28 crashed in 1966. By the beginning of the 1970s the airline was controlled by Qantas and British Overseas Airways Corporation via their shareholdings in New Hebrides Airways, and by Union des Transports Aériens which had taken over Hebridair and renamed it Société Française des Nouvelles-Hébrides."World Airlines", ''Flight International'' 6 May 1971, p615 (online archive version)
retrieved 18 November 2009 Sir Denise Buchanan of Tale Air Fame Bought out Qantas BA and UTA in the late 1979's and ran it very usefully with an Islander, a Trislander, several DH6 and an Embrea Bandrati, until the Government wanted to take over, so they ran him out of town by denying the renewal of the chief engines work permit. The Government subsequently set up Van Air as a government owned company. The Government owned airline was run successfully under the leadership of Mr Murray Pope but following his departure the airline nearly collapsed with the introduction of an expensive lease on a Dash 8 air craft. As it was going broke it was merged with the Government's International Airline, Air Vanuatu and de-merges again in 2001/2 only to go broke again, and to be re-merged with Air Vanuatu. In 2004, it merged with Vanuatu's government-owned flag carrier, Air Vanuatu.
retrieved 18 November 2009 *1 Britten-Norman Trislander
Vanair
Air Melanesiae was Privetly Owned and Mostly by Sir Denise Buchanan He was forced to Move on and took Most of his Air craft to Australia the Government set up a New Co. and that was called Air Van Defunct airlines of Vanuatu Airlines established in 1965 Airlines disestablished in 2004
History
The airline commenced operations as Air Melanesiæ in 1965 as a joint venture between two existing airlines, the British-owned New Hebrides Airways (founded in 1963) and French-owned Société Néo-Hébridaise de Transports Aériens, known as Hebridair (founded 1964).Pierre Bourgeois biographical informationretrieved 18 November 2009 New Hebrides Airways contributed a de Havilland Australia DHA-3 Drover to the operation, while Hebridair provided a Dornier Do 28, however the Do 28 crashed in 1966. By the beginning of the 1970s the airline was controlled by Qantas and British Overseas Airways Corporation via their shareholdings in New Hebrides Airways, and by Union des Transports Aériens which had taken over Hebridair and renamed it Société Française des Nouvelles-Hébrides."World Airlines", ''Flight International'' 6 May 1971, p615 (online archive version)
retrieved 18 November 2009 Sir Denise Buchanan of Tale Air Fame Bought out Qantas BA and UTA in the late 1979's and ran it very usefully with an Islander, a Trislander, several DH6 and an Embrea Bandrati, until the Government wanted to take over, so they ran him out of town by denying the renewal of the chief engines work permit. The Government subsequently set up Van Air as a government owned company. The Government owned airline was run successfully under the leadership of Mr Murray Pope but following his departure the airline nearly collapsed with the introduction of an expensive lease on a Dash 8 air craft. As it was going broke it was merged with the Government's International Airline, Air Vanuatu and de-merges again in 2001/2 only to go broke again, and to be re-merged with Air Vanuatu. In 2004, it merged with Vanuatu's government-owned flag carrier, Air Vanuatu.
Fleet
At the time of the merger with Air Vanuatu the Vanair fleet included: Flight International, 3–9 October 2006 *4 de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 3001981
*4Britten-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 ...
"Commuter Airline Directory", ''Flight International'' 7 November 1981, p1390 (online archive version)retrieved 18 November 2009 *1 Britten-Norman Trislander
1971
*5 Britten-Norman Islander *1 de Havilland Australia DHA-3 DroverIncidents and accidents
*8 May 1999 - A Vanairde 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 ...
with twelve people on board crashed into the sea near Port Vila during heavy rain. Seven people were killed.
*25 July 1991 - A 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 ...
crashed into a mountain near Olpoi Airport
Olpoi Airport , also known as ''North West Santo Airport'', is an airport in Olpoi on Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu
Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is a ...
. All nine people on board were killed.
*30 January 1990 - A Vanair Britten-Norman Trislander crashed. Details unknown.
References
External links
{{Commons category, Air MelanesiaeVanair
Air Melanesiae was Privetly Owned and Mostly by Sir Denise Buchanan He was forced to Move on and took Most of his Air craft to Australia the Government set up a New Co. and that was called Air Van Defunct airlines of Vanuatu Airlines established in 1965 Airlines disestablished in 2004