Airports blocks Virgin aircraft

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA B737'S            File Photo

Virgin Australia planes have been blocked in with bulldozers on the tarmac at Perth Airport, over claims the company owes a ‘significant’ amount of money to the airport. The measures come after the airline was placed into voluntary administration this week amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Airport staff have blocked a number of planes with vehicles and heavy machinery, to prevent a towbar from being attached to them. This was “standard practice used in these situations”, a Perth Airport spokesperson said, claiming the facility was owed money by the airline. Virgin has significant outstanding invoices from Perth Airport for airfield and terminal use charges – money the airline has already collected from its passengers and the FIFO sector," the airport said in a statement. “While Perth Airport is working with the Virgin administrators, it also needs to protect its own interests." “Perth Airport has taken liens over a number of Virgin aircraft – a standard practice in these situations.” A Virgin Australia spokesperson confirmed to a number of aircraft had restricted access, but that scheduled flights were not impacted. "We are aware that Perth Airport has restricted access to our aircraft and the Administrator is dealing directly with Perth Airport on the matter. There is no impact to scheduled flights."

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA B777 & A330'S           File Photo

Qantas, which is currently locked in its own battle with Perth Airport over airport charges, criticised the move to impound the planes. In a statement, Qantas described the decision as extraordinary behaviour and deeply worrying for all users of Perth Airport. "Protecting your interests is one thing but parking a bulldozer in front of an aircraft while saying you're 'working to secure an agreement' is ridiculous," a statement from the head of external communications Luke Enright said. "It's no way to treat a customer of 20 years. "This kind of action is deeply worrying for all users of Perth Airport." Mr Enright characterised Qantas's dispute, which is currently before the courts, as relating to "excessive" charges and claimed Perth Airport was refusing to negotiate over the use of Terminal 4, something the airport emphatically denies. "They refuse to negotiate and pay up on the terminal they have effectively taken back from us, which is valued at well over $150 million," Mr Enright said.
Adelaide Airport has become the latest Australian airport to seize possession of Virgin Australia aircraft as collateral against outstanding bills. Since being placed into voluntary administration, it has been discovered Virgin Australia owes an estimated 6.8 billion dollars to 12,000 creditors. The South Australian airport claims it is owed 10 million dollars by the airline, and has followed the lead of Perth airport who recently blocked the exit of several parked Virgin jets with airport vehicles. Qantas has again defended Virgin Australia, slamming the behaviour as "ridiculous" and "extraordinary". 








Story sourced from here
https://10daily.com.au/news/a200424mnhbk/virgin-planes-blocked-from-tarmac-over-owed-money-20200424 and
https://www.skynews.com.au/details/_6152018027001

Happy Birthday Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand's story began on the 26th April 1940 when its forerunner airline, Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL) was incorporated . TEAL began its first trans-Tasman services with flying boats, and over the years steadily expanded the size and scope of its operations and the extent of its international network. The route network was expanded from Australia and the Pacific to Asia, the USA, the UK and Europe. In October 1953 TEAL became jointly owned by the New Zealand and Australian Governments, and in April 1961 the New Zealand Government assumed full ownership.

In addition to TEAL operating international services, the New Zealand Government established NZ National Airways Corporation (NAC) in 1947. NAC was the primary operator of domestic air services between major centres and provincial cities and towns, and along with TEAL would later form the basis for today's Air New Zealand.

In April 1965 TEAL was renamed Air New Zealand Limited, and continued operating solely international services. 1965 also heralded the beginning of the jet era for Air New Zealand, with the arrival in July of the first DC-8 jet aircraft. The new jets meant that Air New Zealand could expand operations to North America and Asia, becoming a truly international airline.

In 1973, Air New Zealand introduced the larger DC-10 to their fleet. The airline operated with a combined DC-8 and DC-10 fleet until the 1980s, when the larger Boeing 747 began to replace the older jets. The airline has been a member of the Star Alliance since 1999

Their first 747-200 arrived on the 22nd May 1981 (ZK-NZV CN 22722) and their last Boeing 747-400, affectionately referred to by pilots as "Daddy's Yacht", completed its final flight on the 12th September 2014 landing in Auckland from San Francisco.  ZK-NBV (CN 26910) was that aircraft.

AIR NEW ZEALAND B747-419 ZK-NBV (CN 26910)

AIR NEW ZEALAND B747-419 ZK-NBT (CN 24855)

On the 8th July 2014 ANZ took delivery of their first of 6 state of the art B787-9 Dreamliners (ZK-NZE 34334) The first aircraft was handed over to Air New Zealand at the Everett plant, and arrived in Auckland three days later. The first 787-9 service operated on 9 August 2014, from Auckland to Sydney and return

AIR NEW ZEALAND B787-9 ZK-NZE (CN 34334)

At the start of June 2014, Air New Zealand announced it would be placing a NZ$1.6 billion order with Airbus for thirteen Airbus A320neo and Airbus A321neo aircraft.  The airline’s first A321neo was unveiled on the 26th September 2018 and arrived in Auckland on the 5th November. The aircraft entered revenue service on the 23rd November 2018, operating between Auckland and Brisbane.

AIR NEW ZEALAND A320-271NEO ZK-NHA (CN 8715)

AIR NEW ZEALAND A321-271NX  ZK-NNA (CN 8496)

AIR NEW ZEALAND A321-271NX (8573)

Air New Zealand's mainline fleet consists of Boeing aircraft for long-haul flights, and Airbus aircraft for domestic- and short-haul international flights. Its wholly owned subsidies, Mount Cook Airline, Eagle Air and Air Nelson, operate ATR 72 and Bombardier Q300 turboprop aircraft.

AIR NEW ZEALAND BEECH 1900 ZK-EAC (CN UE426)

OPERATED BY EAGLE AIR

AIR NEW ZEALAND DASH 8 Q300 ZK-NEA (CN 611)

AIR NEW ZEALAND ATR 72-212 ZK-MVD (CN 1117)

OPERATED BY MOUNT COOK AIRLINES

AIR NEW ZEALAND A320-232 ZK-OJF (CN 2153)

AIR NEW ZEALAND B767-319 ZK-NCI (CN 26913)

 

Air New Zealand has had some amazing liveries in the past

AIR NEW ZEALAND B777-319 ZK-OKO (CN 38407)

AIR NEW ZEALAND B777-319 ZK-OKP (CN 39401)

AIR NEW ZEALAND B777-319 ZK-OKQ (CN 40689)

As of the 29th February 2020, the Air New Zealand fleet consists of the following aircraft:

Aircraft	In service	Orders	Passengers					Notes
			B	P	S	E	Total
Airbus A320-200	23	—	—	—	—	168	168	International configuration.
			—	—	—	171	171	Domestic configuration.
Airbus A320neo	4	2	—	—	—	165	165	Replacing older A320-200 Next deliveries from 2021.
Airbus A321neo	7	7	—	—	—	214	214
ATR 72-600	27	2	—	—	—	68	68	taken over from Mount Cook Airline
Boeing 777-200ER	8	—	26	40	54	192	312	To be replaced by Boeing 787-10
Boeing 777-300ER	8	—	44	54	60	184	342	Includes one aircraft dry-leased from EVA Air.
Boeing 787-9	14	—	27	33	39	176	275
			18	21	42	221	302
Boeing 787-10	—	8	TBA					Deliveries from 2022 to replace Boeing 777-200ERs.
Bombardier Q300	23	—	—	—	—	50	50	taken over from Air Nelson
Total	114	19

ANZAC Day 2020 - Thank You

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

LEST WE FORGET

Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders "who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations" and "the contribution and suffering of all those who have served". Observed on 25 April each year, Anzac Day was originally devised to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli against the Ottoman Empire during World War I. (1914–1918) Anzac Day is also observed in the Cook Islands, Niue, Pitcairn Islands, and Tonga, and previously was a national holiday in Papua New Guinea and Samoa. Anzac Day marks the anniversary of the first campaign that led to major casualties for Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. 

 
The acronym ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, whose soldiers were known as Anzacs. Anzac Day remains one of the most important national occasions of both Australia and New Zealand a rare instance of two sovereign countries not only sharing the same remembrance day, but making reference to both countries in its name. When war broke out in 1914, Australia and New Zealand had been dominions of the British Empire for thirteen and seven years respectively. World War One was one of the deadliest conflicts in the history of the human race, in which over 16 million people died. The total number of both civilian and military casualties is estimated at around 37 million people. The war killed almost 7 million civilians and 10 million military personnel. Two out of three soldiers died in battle, the rest died due to infections or disease. The Spanish flu also killed a lot of people in prisoner camps.

For Australia
The First World War remains the costliest conflict in terms of deaths and casualties. From a population of fewer than five million, 416,809 men enlisted, of whom more than 60,000 were killed and 156,000 wounded, gassed, or taken prisoner.

For New Zealand

The First World War was one of the most significant events of the 20th Century and

had a seismic impact on New Zealand society. Just under ten percent of their then

population of 1.1 million served overseas, of which more than 18,000 died.

There were also over 40,000 hospitalisations due to injury or illness. Nearly every

New Zealand family was affected by the impact of the war.

                            LEST WE FORGET

All photos taken from the internet and story taken from different websites.