Air New Zealand Freight

[Splitpin]

I may have raised this before, forgive me, but having just had an in-length discussion with my nephew Jono, the subject came up again.
Would a dedicated ANZ freight service work in this current global climate?
We (as uninformed people) think it would.
NZ has the entire Pacific region at its fingertips. I know QANTAS and ATLAS are very active in this part of the world... but maybe we could claw some of that business back, or is it more economically viable to farm it out?

I myself think a dedicated T777-319F or two would be "a" useful and "b" good looking...but I guess, aesthetics and economics are hard to link.

What do you think team ?

[aerofoto]

Would a dedicated ANZ freight service work in this current global climate?

"INTERESTING" question

We've often debated this at home here and over a few (too many) Friday night "drinky-pooh's" up here in AKL

It probably could work "in the current climate" .... but traditionally .... and beyond the capacity common underfloor type freight AIR NEW ZEALAND's never been keen to get involved with "dedicated/pure air freight type operations".

We did, during the 1980's, have a single pure air freighter. Our DC-8-52 ZK-NZD was retired from service during 1981 (along with sister ships -NZC and -NZE). It remained in storage for a while at Mojave, Nevada, USA, and was eventually converted to a pure freighter -54F.

The only reason this happened though is because MULDOON apparently "forced the issue" .... despite ANZ's reluctance.


PHOTO: Mark R. CRANSTON/"AEROFOTO" (1985)

It was redelivered to AIR NEW ZEALAND during October 1981, and remained in service with the airline until September 1987, operating regular trans-Tasman (primarily) and LAX (prior to 1984) air freight services, as well as freight charters to other global destinations too. Interestingly .... and during the toughening economic times of the mid 1980's .... AIR NEW ZEALAND's DC-8-54F was, during this period, "the only aircraft within its fleet actually recording a profit" .... BUT AGAIN .... the airline had never been keen to operate dedicated/pure air freight type operations.

Today FED EX operate most of the long haul air freight services into NZ, along with the odd QANTAS FREIGHT service too, and among those also operated by a scant few other international carriers as well.

In so far as our Pacific neighbours are concerned .... and particularly in times of crisis etc, it's RNZAF and RAAF aircraft that have traditionally been deployed to assist in regard to air freight/logistics.

Dunno if demand would be sufficient to warrant regular pure freight service to our closest Pacific neighbours (certainly not using large aircraft), but, there's probably a need for increased air freight capacity between NZ and AUS (perhaps in the form of a charter or other such lease based here for a period) .... "especially at the moment".


A bit about our DC-8 FREIGHTER service of the 1980's from an FS feature I earlier wrote ....

AIR NEW ZEALAND DC-8-52 ZK-NZD was withdrawn from service during February 1981, and placed in storage at Mojave, Nevada, USA. It was resurrected and converted to a pure freighter configuration (upon government insistence .... and despite the state owned airline never favoring operating pure freight type services), and then redelivered to the airline as a DC-8-54F on October 8th 1981. This aircraft operated regular AIR NEW ZEALAND trans-Tasman (primarily), and LAX air freight services, along with specialist/contract air freight charters to other global destinations too.

By December 1984 new FAA/ICAO noise regulations within the USA forced discontinuation of the AIR NEW ZEALAND DC-8 freighter service to Los Angeles. DC-8-73CF aircraft were briefly chartered from EVERGREEN INTERNATIONAL AIRWAYS during 1995 to provide additional freight capacity along the Auckland/Los Angeles route. The airlines DC-8-54F was subsequently relegated to trans-Tasman and Pacific regional services .... during which it operated the first ever flight by a DC-8 freighter to Apia, Western Samoa, on December 14th 1985.

On March 29th 1987 AIR NEW ZEALAND's DC-8 freighter was entered into the PDL INTERNATIONAL Singapore/Christchurch Air Race .... held in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Christchurch International Airport. This particular flight was crewed by Captain Jim WOODHAMS and Captain Russell STEWART, F/O Gary SPICER, F/E Don NICHOLSON and F/E Allan McFAYDEN. AIR NEW ZEALAND Inflight Technician/Flight Dispatch Officer (navigator) Chuck REID, Flight Liaison Officer John KENNEDY, and Service Engineer Geof HORWOOD also accompanied this flight .... along with 3 horse handlers whom returned as PAX having accompanied the aircraft with a blood stock charter to Singapore the previous day, and a Christchurch Radio 3ZB announcer whom provided several live broadcasts from the aircraft in regard to its progress whilst en route to Christchurch. Cruising at FL370, and aided by tail winds exceeding 100 KTS, the aircraft achieved a velocity of MACH 0.85 .... which was maintained until the flight was within its normal fuel plan for the route .... to win 2nd place with line honors in the Commercial/Military aircraft category for this race and ultimately placed 3rd overall fastest aircraft on handicap .... having completed the flight in 8 hours 27 minutes .... whilst also having completed the airlines first ever Singapore/Christchurch service, and establishing a point-to-point air time record for a first generation jetliner over the route, as well as this also having been the longest flight ever undertaken by DC-8 ZK-NZD.



Billed as "The Last Great Air Race" .... the aircraft supported a hybrid livery for this particular flight and which featured a large comical Kiwi logo with "KIWI MAGIC" titles (also used to promote New Zealand's 1986/87 Americas Cup entry at Fremantle, Australia, in support of KZ-7 which mounted the countries first ever challenge for this cup) with additional "SINGAPORE CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND" titles, "PDL INTERNATIONAL AIR RACE" titles and logo, along with the aircraft's # "33" race competitor designator .... in addition to a sponsorship legend reading "CARRIER FOR WRIGHTSON BLOOD STOCK" and the BP logo .... each of which appeared on the aircraft's lower forward fuselage section and nose.

DC-8 ZK-NZD remained in AIR NEW ZEALAND CARGO service until September 26th 1987 (during the tough economic period of the early 1980´s it was the only aircraft within the AIR NEW ZEALAND fleet that was actually recording a profit .... despite the airlines reluctance to be engaged in pure freight type operations) when it operated the airlines "last ever" DC-8 service between Sydney and Auckland .... concluding 21 years of highly successful DC-8 operations. This final flight was crewed by Captain Jim WOODHAMS, F/O Captain Bob TARR, and F/E Don NICHOLSON. The aircraft was immediately withdrawn from service and remained in storage at the AIR NEW ZEALAND jet base, at Auckland International Airport, until its sale to KALITTA/AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL AIRWAYS on September 1st 1989, and re-registered N806CK

DC-8 N806CK (ex ZK-NZD) was transferred to KITTY HAWK INTERNATIONAL during February 1999, then withdrawn from service during April 2000 and stored at Oscowa, Michigan, USA, and later scrapped.

Mark C
AKL/NZ