Freedom Air

Infobox Airline
airline = Freedom Air

logo_size = 200
IATA = SJ
ICAO = FOM
callsign = FREE AIR
parent = Air New Zealand Ltd.
founded = 1995
headquarters = Auckland, New Zealand
key_people = Rob Fyfe (CEO, Air New Zealand); Stephen Jones (General Manager, Zeal320)
hubs = Auckland International Airport
focus_cities = Hamilton International Airport
alliance = Star Alliance (affiliate member under parent company Air New Zealand)
fleet_size = 12 (Zeal320 aircraft used)
destinations = 11
website = http://www.freedomair.com|

Freedom Air was Air New Zealand Group's low-cost airline which operated from December 1995 to March 2008. It ran scheduled passenger services from New Zealand to Australia and Fiji and charter services within New Zealand. Its main base was Auckland International Airport.cite news | title= Directory: World Airlines | work= Flight International | page= 84 | date= 2007-04-03]

History

The airline was established in 1995 as a response to the commencement of discount services between Australia and New Zealand by Kiwi Airlines [http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/425823/1319689 "Air NZ's competitors"] - TVNZ, 6 September 2007] and started operations on 8 December 1995 with a single Boeing 757. It was formed as South Pacific Air Charters by Mount Cook Airline. It was later wholly owned by Air New Zealand.

By 2004 its fleet had expanded to five Boeing 737-300 [ [http://www.freedomair.com/en/display.aspx?id=129&type=2 Freedom Air Press Release - Freedom Air’s fifth aircraft takes to the skies] , 10 December 2004] aircraft and it was providing direct non-stop services to the Australian cities of Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne from Hamilton, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Palmerston North. It briefly operated on the New Zealand main trunk domestic routes such as Auckland–Christchurch, but ceased these services to concentrate on providing value trans-Tasman flights. [http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/425823/1319689 "Air NZ's competitors"] - TVNZ, 6 September 2007]

The Freedom Air fleet at March 2007 consisted of 12 Airbus A320-200. In June 2006, aircraft from Freedom Air were combined with Air New Zealand's fleet of Airbus A320-200 under the Air Operators Certificate (AOC) of Zeal320 Limited, which was then the sole operator of the Air New Zealand Group's Airbus fleet. [ [http://www.caa.govt.nz/Script/Air_Mod_List.asp?Model_ID=1400 New Zealand Aircraft Register] ] Currently Zeal320 has one aircraft (ZK-OJO) painted in Freedom Air livery. [ [http://www.aviationpage.co.nz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=30 Details on AviationPage New Zealand] ] As such, Freedom Air has no aircraft or current Air Operators Certificate, and Freedom Air is no longer an operational entity. [ [http://www.caa.govt.nz/Script/AvDocClientList.asp?Details_ID=1 New Zealand Part 119 Air Operator certificate holders] ]

Air New Zealand ceased all Freedom Air operations from the end of March 2008. [ [http://www.stuff.co.nz/4192461a10.html Air NZ to ground Freedom Air] ]

Destinations

Freedom Air flew to six destinations in New Zealand and four in Australia. [ [http://www.freedomair.com/en/fulldisplay.aspx?id=Route%20Guide&type=1 Freedom Air - Route Guide] ] All flights ended on March 30, 2008, being replaced (with the exception of Palmerston North, which are now operated by other ANZ subsidiaries) by Air New Zealand flights. [ [http://www.airnz.co.nz/aboutus/mediacentre/pressreleases/airnz_overhaul_tasman_pacific_services_06sep07.htm Air New Zealand Press Release - Air New Zealand to overhaul Tasman and Pacific Services] , 6 September 2007]

*New Zealand
**Auckland (Auckland International Airport)
**Christchurch (Christchurch International Airport)
**Dunedin (Dunedin International Airport)
**Hamilton (Hamilton International Airport)
**Palmerston North (Palmerston North International Airport)
**Wellington (Wellington International Airport)
*Australia
**Brisbane (Brisbane Airport)
**Gold Coast (Coolangatta Airport)
**Melbourne (Melbourne Airport)
**Sydney (Sydney Airport)
*Fiji
**Nadi (Nadi International Airport) [ [http://www.freedomair.com/en/display.aspx?id=129&type=2 Freedom Air Press Release - Freedom Air Wellington - Fiji Service Takes Flight] , 11 February 2005]

References

External links

* [http://www.freedomair.com/ Freedom Air]
* [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?nr_of_rows=345&sort_order=year&first_this_page=0&page_limit=60&thumbnails=&&airlinesearch=Freedom%20Air Freedom Air Pictures]
* [http://www.aviationpage.co.nz/readarticle.php?article_id=3 Details on AviationPage New Zealand]