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Sounds Air

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Sounds Air
IATA ICAO Call sign
S8 SDA[1] SOUNDSAIR[1]
Founded1986
Operating basesWellington Airport
Fleet size10
Destinations9
HeadquartersBlenheim, New Zealand
Key peopleCliff Marchant (Founder), Andrew Crawford (Chief Executive/Director), Rhyan Wardman (Chairman, Director), Steve Handyside (Director), Simon Craddock (Director)
Websitesoundsair.com
A Sounds Air Cessna Caravan at Wellington International Airport in 2009
Sounds Air Grand Caravan landing at Picton in 2006.
A Sounds Air Grand Caravan at Christchurch Airport in 2014.
One of Sounds Air's PC12's (ZK-PLV) at Wellington International.

Sounds Air is a New Zealand airline based in Marlborough.[2] The airline was founded in 1986 by Cliff and Diane Marchant to provide low cost flights to the Marlborough Sounds.[3] The airline's head office as well as its Sounds Aero Maintenance division is based at Omaka aerodrome.[4]

History

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From a single Cessna Caravan operating one route across the Cook Strait, Sounds Air has grown in 30 years; the airline carried 78,000 passengers in 2015, compared to 14,000 passengers in 2003. In 2008 the airline set up its own maintenance division as the airline could not find a company suitable to maintain its fleet.[5] In 2017, Sounds Air signalled that they were looking at buying twin engine planes for the first time: up to three 19-seater Beech 1900 aircraft to support extra demand for the Blenheim to Christchurch route.[6]

Services

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Sounds Air operates scheduled flights between Wellington and Picton, Nelson, Blenheim, Taupō and Westport.[7][8] Scheduled flights are also available between Blenheim and Christchurch,[9][10]Wānaka and Paraparaumu. Nelson also has flights to Paraparaumu.[11] Sounds Air formerly served Kaikoura, Napier and Whanganui[12] from Wellington, Napier from Blenheim and Kāpiti Coast from Picton.[13] A service to Masterton was being considered from Wellington, however no such service eventuated, because the town wanted the link to Auckland reinstated instead.[14] In addition to scheduled flights Sounds Air offers scenic flights over the Marlborough Sounds and Abel Tasman National Park.[15] The airline started temporary services to Kaikoura from Christchurch and Blenheim on 21 November 2016 following the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake.[16] The Kaikoura to Christchurch flights ceased from 27 January 2017[17] followed by the Blenheim flights on 29 December 2017. From this date onwards Kaikoura will become a charter route only.[18] Sounds Air commenced Christchurch to Wānaka another former Air New Zealand route on 2 November 2020.[19]

On 18 October 2024 Sounds Air decided to pull out of Westport because of high costs and lack of support from the government but then Originair stepped in to serve Westport from Wellington.

Destinations

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Sounds Air operates scheduled services to the following destinations within New Zealand:

City IATA Airport Status
Blenheim BHE Woodbourne Airport Current
Christchurch CHC Christchurch International Airport Current
Kaikōura KBZ Kaikoura Airport Terminated
Napier NPE Hawke's Bay Airport[20] Terminated
Nelson NSN Nelson Airport Current
Paraparaumu PPQ Kapiti Coast Airport Current
Picton PCN Picton Aerodrome Current
Taupō TUO Taupō Airport Ends 31 December 2024[21]
Wānaka WKA Wānaka Airport Current[19]
Wellington WLG Wellington International Airport Current
Westport WSZ Westport Airport Current
Whanganui WAG Whanganui Airport Terminated

Fleet

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As of May 2024 the Sounds Air fleet consists of ten aircraft.[22] 6 Pilatus PC-12's which are a pressurized, single-engined, turboprop aircraft manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Stans, Switzerland since 1991. It was designed as a high-performance utility aircraft powered by the Pratt & Whitney PT6A turboprop. They incorporate a large aft cargo door in addition to the main passenger door. It is configured in a 9 seat commuter configuration with 1-1 arrangement. And 4 Cessna 208 Caravan's which are strutted, high wing aircraft with an unpressurized cabin. They are powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A tractor turboprop and have a fixed tricycle landing gear. 2 of the 4 are 208's which seat 12 people in a 1–2 configuration with a 2 person bench seat in the aft section. The 2 others are the stretched 208B's which seat 13 people in a 1–2 configuration.

Aircraft Total Orders Passengers
(Economy)
Cessna 208 Caravan
4
 12
Pilatus PC-12
6
 9[5]
Total 10

Future

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On 28 September 2020, the airline signed a letter of intent to Swedish company Heart Aerospace to purchase their ES-19 electric aircraft once it comes available, scheduled for 2026. The airline hopes the ES-19 will be able to make them the first regional airline to offer Zero-emissions flights.[23] In 2022 this was upgraded to the ES-30.[24]

Accidents and incidents

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  • On 19 March 1989 Britten Norman BN2A Islander, ZK-SFE, while attempting to land at Tiraora Lodge struck a telephone wire and descended into the sea. The pilot and five passengers were rescued but suffered varying degrees of injury.[25]
  • On 29 January 1996 Cessna 208 Caravan, ZK-SFA, crashed into the eastern slopes of Mount Robertson on approach to Picton Aerodrome at Koromiko after a flight from Wellington. All five passengers were killed, but the pilot survived.[26]

References

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  1. ^ a b Not an ICAO allocation – issued for domestic use by the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand
  2. ^ "Airline schedules more Nelson flights". The Nelson Mail. 20 November 2007. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
  3. ^ "Sounds Air » Company background". Archived from the original on 4 December 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  4. ^ Ltd, Beacon Hill Design. "Sounds Aero Maintenance » Marlborough based aircraft maintenance". www.soundsaero.co.nz.
  5. ^ a b Lewis, Oliver. "Charting its own course: Marlborough airline Sounds Air is flying high in the cut-throat world of aviation". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  6. ^ "Larger planes between Christchurch and Blenheim could return early next year". Stuff .co.nz. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
  7. ^ L, Steve (21 January 2015). "3rd Level New Zealand: Exciting News for Sounds Air and Westport".
  8. ^ "Regional routes rise again". Stuff. 13 March 2015.
  9. ^ "Sounds Air to replace Air NZ on Christchurch to Blenheim route". Stuff.co.nz. 17 June 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  10. ^ "Wine flights on track for November". Stuff. 29 September 2015.
  11. ^ "Timetables". Sounds Air. Archived from the original on 22 January 2009. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
  12. ^ "Airline cans Wellington service". Wanganui Chronicle. 2 May 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  13. ^ L, Steve (23 December 2013). "3rd Level New Zealand: A lovely day in Kaikoura".
  14. ^ "Sounds Air looks at landing Wairarapa deal". Stuff. 13 September 2013.
  15. ^ "Sounds Air » Scenic Flights". Archived from the original on 27 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  16. ^ "Sounds Air starts special flights to quake-hit Kaikoura". Newshub. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  17. ^ "Sounds Air". www.facebook.com.
  18. ^ L, Steve (22 December 2017). "3rd Level New Zealand: Kaikoura Flights to End".
  19. ^ a b "Sounds Air confirms November start date for Christchurch to Wanaka service". Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  20. ^ "Planes going one way empty': Sounds Air cut Napier to Blenheim service". Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  21. ^ "Sounds Air ends Taupo". Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  22. ^ "Sounds Air Fleet & Planes – Sounds Air".
  23. ^ "Sounds Air aims to offer first regional zero-emission flights". Radio New Zealand. 28 September 2020.
  24. ^ "Heart highlights customer acceptance of switch to 30-seater".
  25. ^ "AO-1989-032 | TAIC". www.taic.org.nz. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  26. ^ "AO-1996-006 | TAIC". www.taic.org.nz. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
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Media related to Sounds Air at Wikimedia Commons

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