East Timor Air/Vincent Aviation
 

Have been reading the latest Flight International, where it says an NZ company called
Vincent Aviation is planning to commence services on internal routes in East Timor
with plans to expand later with international services to DRW and SIN.

Does anyone have any further details on East Timor Air/Vincent
Aviation and/or their contact details.

Thanks

This info is a little old:

Vincent Aviation Ltd, PO Box 21022, Wellington 6030, New Zealand.
Phone: (4) 3888983. Fax: (4) 3889993. Email: [email protected]
Head: Peter Vincent
Aircraft: 1 x C182, 1 x PA34 Seneca II, 2 x C402C, 1 x Reims F406.

Thanks for the info

Regards

I'm pretty sure that Vincent Aviation have been operating a ZK reg F406 between Darwin and Suai/Dili for around a year now (probably as support for the Kiwi Army in Suai). I also think that a Beech 1900 is involved somehow.

I have not read the latest flight international. Does it mention what type of aircraft Vincent Aviation will use for these flights?

I thought Airnorth, the only RPT operator flying between Darwin and Dili, had some kind of agreement to be East Timor Airlines if the need ever came about. They even gave one of thier Braz's the rego VH-DIL not the standard VH-AN...

Then again aviation is an ever changing arena.:rolleyes:

I havent read the latest flt international mag either but i can say Vincent also operate a b1900 C model with a contract for the N.Z. gov. supplying goods to their troops in East T. via Darwin.
Rumor has it they hav just sold their PA 34 as well!
Quite a tidy looking company from what i have seen of it all well keept machines and nice guys

Yep, Vincent Aviation operating a NZ Government/UN contract to move FR8 and people between Darwin & Dili. 3 return trips per week from memory. Read somewhere that they are looking to move into UN contracts as work in NZ is decreased somewhat and that 1 goal is to operate a/c up to B737 within 5 years in support of UN missions.

1 x Reims C406 ZK-CII, 1 x B1900C ZK-VA?.

They recently sold Seneca II ZK-DCP to Air Gisborne and operate a leased B58 ZK-TWB. Other a/c include the C182 & C402.

S2K

Thanks everyone for the info, here's the full article:

Flight International 16-22 April, David Fullbrook in Singapore

East Timor Air to start Flying in May with Australian route

East Timor Air (ETA) will start flying in May, linking East Timor with Darwin using
commuter turboprops which it aims to upgrade to Boeing 737s next year as
its network across the region grows.

A Raytheon Beech 1900C will be introduced on flights to Darwin from Dili before
East Timors's independence from UN administration on 20 May, perhaps from 1 May,
says Vincent Aviation Managing director Peter Vincent.

New Zealand based Vincent Aviation owns 45% of ETA, with East Timorese
businessman Jerry Desousa taking an equal share. The rest is held by East Timor's
government. Vincent Aviation is providing the 1900D, a Rheims F406, and running
ETA's operations.

A leased Cessna Caravan is expected to be added in June, linking Dili, the capital,
with the Oecussi enclave; Bacau, a former Indonesian air force base and now
East Timor's major international airport; and Suai, the country's other major town.

Strong demand will enable another Beech to be added on a short lease in a few
months. Later this year Vincent hopes traffic levels will warrant larger aircraft.
A Bombardier Dash 8 is a favourite as support infrastructure is good in Australia,
says Vincent. Regional jets are another alternative.

"I think everybody wants a 737 with the country's flag on the tail. But we prefer
to take things cautiously, going up in steps", says Vincent, who is eying the 737-300
and possibly the 737-700. Strong freight demand will make the Airbus A320 a
serious contender.

Larger aircraft will fly to Bali, with a Singapore leg added later. Flights to Cairns,
Brisbane and Sydney are also possible.

Investors in South-East Asia are standing by to chip in if funds are needed. One
is offering a Boeing MD-82 for an 80% stake.

ResBunny thanks for the article.

I am wondering how they hope to fill a 737-xxx and make money?

The UN only flys a c130 once or twice a week from Dili to Darwin. If most of the UN men/women leave, which will happen. Who else, other than the foreigners that work there, has the money in Dili at the moment to fly around international?

Merpati seems to have the Bali-Dili sector under control.

Airnorth seems to have the Dili-Darwin sector under control. Lets not forget that Qantas tried to compete on that same route with a dash8 but did not last.

Does anybody have any idea how Vincent aviation will achieve all this? :confused:

If it was a pure cargo 737 or a combi - Vincent would make a fortune.

I have done a lot of work in East Timor in the past 12 months, and anyone who has been there will tell you that the land was laid waste and stripped of everything and all infrastructure destroyed before independence. Everthing is imported and much of it from Australia. This means there is a requirement for a reliable and frequent service, both air and sea, to allow essentials to be brought into the country.

The majority of goods arrive by sea, but the current lack of air freight capacity means that often we have shipped goods by sea that we would normally send air freight.

Just look at the aircraft currently being operated into Dili and you will see what I mean.

The reason QF pulled out of Dili had nothing to do with pax numbers in fact they were carrying a considerable amount more than the opposition as you would expect.
Good luck Air Vincent, I say go for it.
A 1900 would have to be alot more attractive for pax than the metro and have you seen the price of a ticket now there is no competition!!! :)

Check the number of flights between Darwin ansd Timor, not just Dili and you will find an extraordinary amount of aircraft fly to the country each week. UN have been utilising both C130's and a Dash 7. Vincent are regulars as are the numerous contract charter flights to and from Timor. Timor doesnt just consist of Dili.

There is a hugh amount of restructuring, rebuilding of communities and secruity infrastructure being put into place by other countries as well as Australia. The variety and diversity of people involved in Timor's rehabilitation is incredible.

Good on 'Flight International'. I was in Suai from March last year, and Vincents were in and out, from Darwin. Bit behind the times "FI". Good on Vincents tho, they do a good service.

any gossip on the PC12 VH-PIL sitting outside Vincent hangar in Wellington?