A new small airline making its move on an Air New Zealand route

A new operator will start flying between Nelson (NSN/NZNS) and Christchurch (CHC/NZCH) from today.

Originair will begin a direct service between the two centres using its 18-seater British Aerospace aircraft and will operate twice weekly on Fridays and Sundays.
Air New Zealand also flies the route and a press release from Christchurch Airport said Originair will “supplement the long-standing services” from the national carrier.

The small Nelson-based airline recently started flying between Blenheim and Christchurch. CEO Robert Inglis said there had been strong demand, so, “Nelson was a natural next step”.

“We know these routes provide essential regional links for both business and leisure travellers and our new Christchurch services are planned to operate at convenient peak timings on Friday and Sunday afternoons.

“They offer great opportunities for weekend breaks and full business weeks in Nelson or Christchurch.”

Gordon Bevan, Christchurch Airport’s general manager of aeronautical development, said the additional flights will strengthen links between Canterbury and the top of the South Island.

At the time of writing, the lowest one-way fare on the Orginair website for an adult from Nelson to Christchurch is $99. Air New Zealand is $148.

Originair is an airline based in Nelson, New Zealand, that operates domestic flights in New Zealand. It was founded in August 2015 by Nelson businessman Robert Inglis, who had previously founded Air Nelson. The regional airline is dedicated to connecting communities across New Zealand with convenient and reliable travel options. Destinations include Nelson, Palmerston North, Wellington, Taupo, Westport, and Hamilton. 

FAA cancels all flights into and out of El Paso

Late Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued unexplained notices closing the airspace over El Paso International Airport (ELP/KELP) and a large area of southern New Mexico west of Santa Teresa for 10 days. According to the city, El Paso International Airport is shut down to all flights.

The orders close off all air travel in and out of the affected area, which will cause massive disruption in the nation’s 23rd largest city.

“THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) CLASSIFIES THE AIRSPACE DEFINED IN THIS NOTAM AS ‘NTL DEFENSE AIRSPACE’. PILOTS WHO DO NOT ADHERE TO THE FOLLOWING PROC WILL BE INTERCEPTED, DETAINED AND INTERVIEWED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT/SECURITY PERSONNEL,” the notices said.

“THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT MAY USE DEADLY FORCE AGAINST THE AIRBORNE ACFT, IF IT IS DETERMINED THAT THE ACFT POSES AN IMMINENT SECURITY THREAT,” the notice continued.

The notices, known as Notice to Air Missions, or NOTAM, took effect at 11:30 p.m. Mountain Time on Tuesday the 10th of February, and expire at 11:30 p.m. on Friday the 20th of February.  

Airport staff has reached out to the FAA, and we are pending additional guidance. In the meanwhile, the few commercial airlines operating out of El Paso are being informed of the restriction, which appears to be security related. 

Closing off airspace over a major U.S. city is a rare action, and officials with the Federal Aviation Administration didn’t immediately respond to questions from El Paso Matters on the reasons for the action.

A person familiar with the notices, who asked not to be identified because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly, said the action to close airspace over a major U.S. for security reasons over extended period hasn’t happened since immediately after the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Starsky Fokker 50 crashes in Somalia

A passenger plane in Somalia traveling from Mogadishu Aden Adde International Airport (MGQ/HCMM) to Gualaco Airport (GUO) crash-landed in shallow water on a seashore near the international airport on Tuesday. 

The crew of the plane, a Fokker 50, reported a problem 15 minutes after takeoff from Mogadishu’s Aden Abdulle International Airport on Tuesday morning and requested to return to the airport, according to Somalia’s Civil Aviation Authority.

Ahmed Macalin Hassan, the CAA director, said the pilot then tried to touch down but failed to stop on the runway. The plane overshot the tarmac before coming to rest in shallow water near the shoreline.

The Starsky Aviation aircraft with 55 passengers on board was bound for the northern city of Gaalkacyo.

Pictures posted on social media from the scene showed passengers walking away from the wreckage of the plane. Starsky Aviation chief executive Ahmed Nur said “the aircraft overran on the runway” before the pilot crash-landed on the shoreline near the international airport.

He added: “No injuries, no deaths.”

Aircraft Information:
Airline: Starsky Aviation
Aircraft: Fokker 50
Registration: 6O-YAS
Serial Number: 20177
Engines: 2 x PWC PW125B
First Flew: 9th February 1990
Age: 36 Years 

Surprising fact about flight attendants you might not know

Many people don’t realize that flight attendants don’t start earning their main hourly pay until the airplane doors are closed and the flight is ready to take off. All the time they spend welcoming passengers on board, storing luggage, and carrying out important safety checks during boarding isn’t counted on the official pay clock.

This surprising reality isn’t by chance—it’s the product of airline pay systems shaped and negotiated over many decades. To really grasp how flight attendants are paid, it’s important to look beyond the advertised hourly rate and dig into the specifics of airline contracts and industry practices.

When airlines advertise flight attendant positions, they usually quote a competitive hourly rate. However, that headline number often omits exactly what that “hour” measures.

Like many airlines, flight attendants are mainly paid based on “credited flight time,” also known as block time pay. This usually starts when the aircraft door closes before takeoff and ends when it opens after landing.

Consequently, several critical parts of the workday may not be paid at the full hourly rate, including:

• Preflight safety briefings
• Aircraft equipment checks
• Boarding and passenger assistance
• Ground delays with passengers onboard
• Time spent waiting between flights
• Delayed flights

This setup is often highlighted in labor reports from outlets like Reuters, which have explained how flight attendants can work long duty days, yet their pay is based on a much smaller block-time figure.

The aviation industry didn’t invent block time pay for flight attendants simply to shortchange workers. Originally, the system was built around a metric that was easy to track, predictable for scheduling, and closely tied to airline revenue.

For airlines, this model made labor costs more flexible and easier to predict. For workers, though, it meant the toughest and most visible parts of the job weren’t always directly rewarded.

Over time, this gap between “time worked” and “time paid” has become one of the most contentious issues in flight attendant labor relations.

To offset the limitations of block time, pay for flight attendants, airline contracts have evolved layers of protections. These mechanisms are often misunderstood by those outside the industry.

Common contract protections in the pay structure include:

• Minimum Day Guarantees: These ensure a baseline amount of pay credit regardless of how short the flight schedule is.
• Duty Rigs: These add pay credit if the total time on duty becomes excessive relative to flight time.
• Trip Rigs: This tie pay to the total time away from base.
• Per Diem: An hourly allowance meant to cover meals and expenses while on duty.

The pay model isn’t set in stone. In recent years, there’s been growing pressure across North America to move toward paid boarding and ground time, shaking up the traditional flight attendant pay system.

AirAsia flight plunges 24,000ft in emergency - diverts to Brisbane

AIRASIA X AIRBUS A330-343 9M-XBG (MSN 1467)

An AirAsia flight from Sydney, Australia (SYD/YSSY) to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (KUL/WMKK) made an emergency diversion to Brisbane (BNE/YBBN).

About an hour and forty minutes into an eight-hour flight on Sunday night, Flight D7221 began transmitting the international general emergency signal, known as “squawking 7700.”

An AirAsia spokesperson informed the media the flight crew observed an alert related to low cabin pressure. While the cabin pressure remained at a safe level, the captain chose to make a precautionary diversion to Brisbane airport, in line with established operational safety procedures.

The airline said in a statement the aircraft will undergo a detailed engineering assessment in line with safety protocols."

The plane suddenly dropped from its usual cruising altitude of 34,000 feet to about 10,000 feet. The aircraft touched down in Brisbane at 14.48 Zulu (12.48 am Brisbane time) All 142 passengers and the 11-member crew evacuated without incident.

Passengers received accommodation offers and service recovery alternatives during the aircraft assessment period.

AirAsia flight D7221D resumed its Kuala Lumpur journey at 8.25 pm Monday.

Aircraft Information:
Airline: AirAsia X
Code: D7 / XAX
Aircraft: Airbus A330-343 
Registration: 9M-XBG
Serial Number: 1467
Engines: 2 x RR Trent 772B-60
First Flew: 13th October 2013
Age: 11.4 Years 

Plane spotting at Brisbane airport.

Yesterday morning, I got up early and headed to the airport for some plane spotting, but since they were using runways 19L and 19R, I decided to try a different spot — one that captures departures from both runways. A spot down by the river.

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-MAX 8 VH-8ID (MSN 66638)
VA314 OFF TO MELBOURNE (MEL) 2 YEARS

JETSTAR AIRBUS A321-231 VH-VWT (MSN 3717)
JQ563 OFF TO MELBOURNE (MEL) 17 YEARS

QANTAS BOEING 737-838 VH-VXR (MSN 33724)
QF824 OFF TO DARWIN (DRW) 22 YEARS

QANTASLINK EMBRAER E190AR VH-UYU (MSN 19000126)
QF1882 OFF TO CAIRNS (CNS) 19 YEARS

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-8FE VH-YFK (MSN 41004)
VA775 OFF TO CAIRNS (CNS) 14 YEARS

KOREAN AIR BOEING 787-9 HL8084 (MSN 34813)
KE408 OFF TO SEOUL (ICN) 8 YEARS

Frustratingly, I was there for less than an hour when they switched runways to 01 departures. So, my brother and I headed to the airport and made our way to the turning circle, or loop road.

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-7K2 VH-NBV (MSN 39446)
VA605 OFF TO MACKAY (MKY) 14 YEARS

QANTAS BOEING 737-838 VH-XZM (MSN 44574)
QF615 OFF TO MELBOURNE (MEL) 11 YEARS

MALAYSIA AIRLINES AIRBUS A330-323 9M-MTF (MSN 1281)
MH134 OFF TO KUALA LUMPUR (KUL) 14 YEARS

QANTASLINK EMBRAER E190AR VH-UYB (MSN 19000012)
QF1863 OFF TO TOWNSVILLE (TSV) 21 YEARS

ALLIANCE FOKKER 100 VH-UQW (MSN 11367)
VA1105 OFF TO NEWCASTLE (NTL) 34 YEARS
FLYING FOR VIRGIN AUSTRALIA

JETSTAR BOEING 787-8 VH-VKG (MSN 36232)
JQ66 ARRIVING FROM BANGKOK (BKK) 11 YEARS

CHINA EASTERN AIRBUS A350-941 B-324X (MSN 489)
MU715 ARRIVING FROM SHANGHAI (PVG) 4 YEARS

PHOTO CREDIT DALLAS De

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-303 VH-QPI (MSN 705)
QF61 OFF TO TOKYO (NRT) 20 YEARS

LINK AIRWAYS SAAB 340B VH-VEB (MSN 340B-425)
LR251 OFF TO WOLLONGONG (WOL) 28 YEARS

AIR CANADA BOEING 787-9 C-FGFZ (MSN 37172)
AC35 ARRIVING FROM VANCOUVER (YVR) 9 YEARS

SINGAPORE AIRLINES AIRBUS A350-941 9V-SHH (MSN 316)
SQ256 OFF TO SINGAPORE (SIN) 6 YEARS

AIR NEW ZEALAND BOEING 777-319 ZK0OKM (MSN 38405)
NZ145 ARRIVING FROM AUCKLAND (AKL) 15 YEARS

PHILIPPINE AIRLINES AIRBUS A321-271N RP-C9933 (MSN 8242)
PR221 ARRIVING FROM MANILA (MNL) 7 YEARS

AMERICAN AIRLINES BOEING 787-9 N848AN (MSN 66013)
AA8 OFF TO DALLAS (DFW) 1 YEAR

FIJI AIRWAYS BOEING 737- MAX8 DQ-FAB (MSN 64307)
FJ921 ARRIVING FROM NADI (NAN) 7 YEARS

CHINA SOUTHERN AIRBUS A350-941 B-32EE (MSN 619)
CZ382 OFF TO GUANGZHOU (CAN) 2 YEARS

QANTAS BOEING 737-838 VH-XZJ (MSN 39365)
QF57 OFF TO PORT MORESBY (POM) 12 YEARS

QANTASLINK DASH 8 400 VH-84L (MSN 4477)
QLK404D OFF TO EMERALD (EMD) 11 YEARS

QANTASLINK AIRBUS A220300 VH-X4B (MSN 55269)
QF1256 ARRIVING FROM MELBOURNE (MEL) 2 YEARS

REX SAAB 340B-VH-ZRM (MSN 340B-400)
ZL5724 OFF TO CHARLEVILLE (CTL) 29 YEARS

CATHAY PACIFIC AIRBUS A350-941 B-LQD (MSN 396)
CX153 ARRIVING FROM HONG KONG (HKG) 6 YEARS

RFDS BEECH KING AIR 200C VH-FDS (MSN BL-158)

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-303 VH-QPB (MSN 558)
QF51 OFF TO SINGAPORE (SIN) 22 YEARS

DELTA AIRBUS A350-941 N574DZ (MSN 265)
DL92 OFF TO LOS ANGELES (LAX) 7 YEARS

POLAIR BELL 429 GLOBALRANGER VH-XP7 (MSN 57476)

Two light planes crash in two Australian states - four hours apart

Around 4:20 pm on Friday, a light plane crashed off the coast of Adelaide in South Australia. Just three and a half hours later, around 8:00 pm, another light plane went down near Normanton Airport in far north Queensland.

A pilot who was killed in a horror light plane crash off the coast of Adelaide is being remembered as a “highly respected and experienced pilot”. The aircraft plunged into the ocean at Long Bay, near Goolwa South, Friday afternoon.

Police and emergency crews rushed to the scene, but all three men on board died. The pilot has since been identified as a 53-year-old Morphett Vale man Leo Howard, according to the Advertiser. His two passengers an 18-year-old Freeling man and a 19-year-old from Pasadena, also died in the crash.

The wreckage of the Cessna 210 had been brought into shore, and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigators attended the scene on Saturday morning amid ongoing investigations into the crash.
The registration of the crashed aircraft has not been released.

 

Then later that evening, a Beechcraft Super King Air, belonging to Machjet International, was traveling from Doomadgee Airport, QLD (DMD/YDMG) to Normanton Airport, QLD (NTN/YNTN crashed just 800 metres west of Normanton Airport, north-west Queensland. Emergency services rushed to the scene just after 8pm AEST, near the Gulf of Carpentaria. Only the pilot was on board, police said, adding that his injuries remain unknown and that the response to the incident is ongoing. The crash started a small grass fire which has knocked out power for local residents.

"Police and emergency services are at the scene of a small plane crash in Normanton," a police spokesperson said.
"The incident occurred just after 8pm, 800 meters west of Normanton Airport."
Normanton is an outback town that sits in a flood zone in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Aircraft Information:
Airline: Machjet International  

Aircraft: Beechcraft 200b Super King Air
Registration: VH-PUY
Serial Number: BL-41
Engine: P&W Canada PT6A-42
First Flew: January 1981

Age: 46 Years

We send our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the deceased during this difficult time.