Origin Pacific Fleet Expansion.
 

BUSINESS

WEDNESDAY, 07 NOVEMBER 2001

B U S I N E S S S T O R Y

Origin's fleet getting bigger, faster
07 November 2001

By TRACY NEAL
Origin Pacific Airways is going ahead with a multimillion-dollar fleet expansion, bringing in aircraft that are the first of their type in New Zealand.

Managing director Robert Inglis said the Nelson-based airline would take delivery of two 30-seat Jetstream 41 aircraft next month and planned to bring in another three early next year.

He said the aircraft, from Nova Scotia in Canada, would become the core of the Origin Pacific fleet and would gradually replace the the smaller 18-seat Jetstream 31 aircraft.

The planes coming here were a late 1990s production model which had had modest use.

The acquisition will make Origin Pacific, which was launched in 1997 with three J31 aircraft, the largest single operator of Jetstream planes in the Asia Pacific region. It also flies Fairchild Metroliners and 50-seat de Havilland Dash 8 aircraft on routes serving 11 cities.

Mr Inglis said the J41 aircraft were on average 30 to 40 knots faster than aircraft of a similar size and would, for example, reduce the Nelson to Auckland flight to about an hour.

Mr Inglis said the new planes will provide additional seat capacity on existing routes and pave the way for adding new routes to the airline's schedules.

Origin Pacific announced a formal alliance with Australia's Qantas Airways last June, which allows it to operate flights within New Zealand.

The code-sharing deal means both airlines market flights on each other's aircraft, and it boosted Origin staff and seat capacity by about 50 percent.

Mr Inglis said this latest development was a significant step which would have happened sooner, but events overseas which have affected the worldwide aviation industry delayed Origin's plans. It had always aimed to introduce 30-seat aircraft.

"We have had to take a deep breath with this decision, and have had to take stock very carefully but we think regional New Zealand has a bright future which we want to be part of."

Mr Inglis said New Zealand was still a "fragmented little country" lacking in a sophisticated land transport system.

"Regional airlines will remain a key factor but we are not a rich nation and we have to provide a product people can afford."

He said the new aircraft will require more crew and further pilot training. Ground training in Nelson will be provided by the aircraft manufacturer British Aerospace Systems, which Origin Pacific has also signed a contract with to provide maintenance programmes at its Nelson facility.

Pilots will be trained in Washington DC, where there was a flight simulator which belonged to the US based manufacturer of the aircraft.

The J41 planes will arrive in Nelson after a three-step "ferry flight" via Los Angeles, Honolulu and American Samoa. All aircraft will be painted in the brand livery before they arrive in Nelson, and will begin services at the end of December following Civil Aviation Certification required for new aircraft types.

Are they GPS equipped or will they "zig zag" along the radials like all the other "state of the art" props in NZ? (Except for the ATR's of course).

What are there requirements? :D

Spuds, Don't know about these aircraft, but the J41's Impulse operated 6 years ago were GPS equiped. For those who have not seen the cockpit of a J41, it is very nice. The only part that is similar to the old J31/32 is the centre console and the overhead panel.
The J41 will out perform the EMB 120. The biggest problem with the J41 is the lack of APU, and with all the glass/electrics in the J41 you need a GPU at every port otherwise you will have very long turn - round times.

The J41 is a piece of crap, totally unreliable. Only quicker than other competitors until it flies into cloud and then it looses 20 kts and occasionally an engine. The GPS was a stand alone in Impulses.
the reason they have moderate use is all of the above.
There is only room in the cockpit for a small folder and the galley and the toilet are one in the same, disgusting having a crap next to the food trolley.
having said that good luck if it is an upgrade for you, it will be fun. Don't eat the food.g

Thought so. Would've been too good to be true.

:(

This from the same R. Inglis that ranted on about the massive increase in internal width of the near new Jetstream over the Bandit and the therefore far more spacious interior of his new fleet. Neglected to mention the Jetstream was three abreast unlike the trusty Bandits the competition ran....

Spud,
Contrary to some of the above, it is a
capable aircraft when soundly operated.
It is certified to operate into 9 metre wide sealed runways in South Africa. Crosswind limit of 35 kts.

The honeywell flight control system requires 3 min. for AHARS to be initialized , hence the delay refered to in previous post... or use a very reliable GPU capable 1600 amps due fixed shaft Garrets. Later IFR GPS can be wired into the SPZ 4500 LRN system allowing "Approach Armed" transfer automatically from LRN to a coupled approach. The standby AH includes an intergrated ILS. Later glass than the S..b, more capable in ice than the S..b, a 40 mile range on the TCAS.. and soft ride button on the autopilot. PDU (Power distribution unit) have been well moded since the early days. This may have been some of "impacts" problems in Australia (apart from $ss)

In all .... a pleasant work bench!!

Fair enough, Max, but the point is will they be equipped with GPS?
I mean watch the Saabs, Jetstreams, 146s and 732s on a radar screen and you'll see them literally flying doglegs along the radials.
Sometimes you end up taking them on a heading, being severly off track, cos otherwise you would lose separation with other traffic.
And finally, what I don't understand is, that apparently Air NZ and Origin don't realise that the more accurate the nav equipment the more likely it is to get direct routes to any waypoint, hence the more time, fuel and money they eventually save.