Ansett New Zealand

Ansett New Zealand was a wholly owned airline subsidiary of Ansett Australia, serving the New Zealand domestic market between 1987 and 2000. In order to comply with regulatory requirements relating to the acquisition of Ansett Australia by Air New Zealand, Ansett New Zealand was sold to News Corporation and later to Tasman Pacific Airlines of New Zealand in 2000, operating as a Qantas franchise under the Qantas New Zealand brand. It went into receivership and subsequently liquidation in 2001.

History

Ansett New Zealand was the result of Ansett Australia's desire to expand into the New Zealand market, enabled by the relaxation of regulation in the aviation sector by the fourth Labour government [http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/4190457a12935.html "Don't knock Air New Zealand"] - the Press, 5 September 2007] . Ansett Australia formed a partnership with two New Zealand companies, Brierley Investments and Newmans, the latter being a tourism company which owned the unprofitable Newmans Air. [http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/4190457a12935.html "Don't knock Air New Zealand"] - the Press, 5 September 2007] Newmans Air formed the basis for a new expanded airline, named Ansett New Zealand. Half its shares (the maximum allowed for a foreign company) were owned by Ansett Australia, with Brierley holding 27.5% and Newmans holding 22.5%. [http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/4190457a12935.html "Don't knock Air New Zealand"] - the Press, 5 September 2007] Subsequently, regulations were relaxed still further, and Ansett Australia took full ownership. [http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/4190457a12935.html "Don't knock Air New Zealand"] - the Press, 5 September 2007]

In 1996, Air New Zealand made a bid to purchase half of Ansett Australia. Anti-monopoly regulators did not want Air New Zealand to gain control of Ansett's operations in New Zealand, however, and it was therefore required that the two Ansett airlines would be separated. Ansett Australia would be owned by Air New Zealand and (until it was bought out) Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, while Ansett New Zealand would be owned by News Corporation exclusively.

In 2000, News Corporation sold Ansett New Zealand to a company called Tasman Pacific Airlines, formed by a group of New Zealand investors. Shortly afterwards, the company became a franchise of Qantas, operating under the Qantas New Zealand brand. [ [http://www.qantas.com.au/infodetail/about/investors/trafficStats/May2000.pdf Qantas: Recent Developments and Preliminary Monthly Traffic and Capacity Statistics, May 2000] (PDF)] The following year, however, the airline went into liquidation.New Zealand Aviation News, Vol XXIV No 4, May 2001] (Qantas's current involvement in the New Zealand domestic market is unrelated, and is not through a franchise agreement).

References

ee also

* Ansett Australia
* Ansett New Zealand Flight 703