HONOLULU - SYDNEY

[Jamesair]

In 2002 I flew between Honolulu and Sydney as part of a round the world trip, the airlines were in the One World Alliance. This sector was flown by a 747 but used an airline I wasn't familiar with.

Could anyone throw any light on which airline it could have been. It's probably defunct or part of another airline group now.

[Eastwest Loco]

I think for a period back then QF were chartering Tower Air or similar 747s due to a fleet problem. i do recall a lot of grizzling at the time due to the vinyl seat interior fitout as well as other things.

Stand to be corrected but that is all I've got.

Best regards

EWL

[ampclamp]

2002. That was soon after Ansett went under, so it is possible Q were using other operators/leasing on international routes to free up capacity although I dont recall that.

I do recall they were leasing some 767s for domestic duties at the time when demand was so high.

[Ken Borough]

Memory is playing tricks on you, EWL!! Tower Air (much dreaded?) were used on a wet lease basis on the Pacific in 1987/88 at the time of the bicentennial along with an Aer Lingus B747 and a Martinair DC10.

When Ansett folded, Qantas wet-leased some 767s from Air Canada. The only odd 747 operation by QF in the 2000s was when VH-NLH was leased in from BA and wore a hybrid livery but don't ask me the dates. :ok:

[B772]

Further to the comment from Ken

G-BNLG was registered as VH-NLH whilst with QF. (Never Leave Home)

ATC in LAX confused the a/c with a BA aircraft on one occasion. Soon after the colourful BA tail was repainted.

VH-NLH also caused a problem with BNE ATC whilst operating a SYD-HKG service. They confused the a/c with ZK-NCL a B767 that was operating a MEL-HKG service. This occurrence took place on 6 May 2001. Air Safety Investigation 200101996.


Also a number of different leased a/c operating for QF Freight.

[Eastwest Loco]

Thanks Ken

Memory does fail but totally correct. I can't recall why the wet leases were required but do recall they were far from popular.

all the best

EWL

[Squawk7700]

Back then Qantas were using the two 747's with the Aboriginal paintwork - the red one and the blue one. Last time I saw the blue one was when it was stripped at Avalon.

Wunala Dreaming and Nalanji Dreaming.

[JamieMaree]

There were 2 periods of time being mixed up here.
The first one was late eighties/ first years of the nineties: QF was short of capacity in an expansion phase and leased in old classics VH EBa and VH EBB and VH EEI. One of the common threads was that the aircraft despite being cleared by their owners maintenance people plus a period at at Sintec, needed a lot more maintenance in SYD to get them up to the required standard. EBA and EBB were previously owned by QF but had been sold. The thought process was that having been previously owned by QF they would have been in good shape but the contrary was true. EEI came from Aer Lingus but made A and B look like perfect aeroplanes. QF tried to inflict these aircraft on Air Pacific has who had a lease agreement for the supply of a B747 classic but their reliability in service was problematic. Martinair and Towerair aircraft were also wet leased in in this era. All of this caused of problems with the consistency of product for QF.
The next period of time was early 2000s when extra capacity was also needed. An ex BA B747-400 VH NLH was leased in as well as 6 rolls Royce powered B767s. The 76s were repainted in QF colours and the 747 was white with the blue BA tail without any reference to BA on it.
This was the same time period when QF rapidly expanded its B737 fleet by buying B737-800s which were dirt cheap because American Airlines had cancelled an order for them from Boeing because of the GFC. Additionally, QF purchased 3 additional B747 400s courtesy of the GFC, 2 from Malaysian and 1 from Asiana; they became VH OEB,OEC and OED.( the first GE powered 400s for QF).
So for the guy who flew from HNL/SYD in a funny coloured QF service, it was probably NLH.

[Cleared Visual]

Sometime back in the 1990s Qantas flew their 747SPs under a subsidiary company called something like Australian Asia Airlines. This was specifically for operating flights to Taiwan and had a ribbon instead of the kangaroo on the tail - I believe it had something to do with the Chinese and diplomacy.

I am not sure when this venture wound up, or when the aircraft were repainted and transferred back to Qantas mainline, but I am pretty sure the 747SPs were retired around '01-'02.

[Fliegenmong]

Yes, I seem to recall a few classics, can't remember if they were SPs. but maybe, done in a QF Livery but with a 'Ribbon tail' rather than a 'Roo

[Ken Borough]

In 2002, Australia Asia (IM) was well and truly in the history books! I think they stopped flying in the mid 1990s - started with a B767 and then finished with the SP.