West Wing Aviation

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West Wing Aviation Pty Ltd
West Wing Aviation Logo.jpg
IATA ICAO Call sign
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Founded2000;26 years ago (2000)
Commenced operations2 May 2000
Hubs
Cairns Airport
Parent company Collings Aircraft Holdings
Headquarters Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Key peoplePeter Collings, founder and CEO
Website skytrans.com.au

West Wing Aviation was an airline based in Townsville, Queensland, founded in 2000. It commenced operations on 2 May 2000. [1] While it began as an independent commuter airline, its operations were later consolidated with its sister company, Skytrans Airlines. In 2024, the airline's parent entity was acquired by the Avia Solutions Group, and in 2025, the airline was rebranded as SmartLynx Australia.

Contents

History

The founder and CEO of the company, Peter Collings, owned various airline operations running in Queensland dating back to 1992. After the company grew, he decided to move away from the company to start West Wing Aviation in 2000, which would provide small commute flights from the Queensland area. [2]

In 2015, another Queensland based airline, Skytrans Airlines, shut down on 2 January 2015. [3] A few days later, West Wing Aviation was requested to temporarily continue the Cape York flights in order to prevent the isolation of remote towns. [4] On 23 March 2015, a deal was made for Skytrans to be purchased by Collings Holdings (owner of West Wing Aviation) and resurrected. [5] [6] It was announced that flights for Skytrans would resume on 1 April 2015, recovering some of its previous staff and leasing two Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft. [7] [8] Following this acquisition, West Wing Aviation's scheduled services were progressively integrated into the Skytrans network.

Acquisition and Rebranding

In January 2024, the European-based Avia Solutions Group announced its intention to acquire Skytrans. The acquisition was completed in March 2024, bringing the airline under foreign ownership for the first time. [9]

On 24 June 2025, Skytrans was officially rebranded as SmartLynx Australia to align with other airlines in the Avia Solutions Group, such as SmartLynx Airlines (Europe). The rebrand marked a shift in strategy, with the airline expanding into ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance) operations and wet leasing, while continuing its regional passenger services. [10] [11]

Destinations

All scheduled flights previously operated by West Wing Aviation throughout the Torres Strait and Cape York regions were consolidated under the Skytrans banner and are now operated by SmartLynx Australia. [12]

Fleet

As of the consolidation of operations, West Wing Aviation's independent fleet (consisting of Beechcraft King Air, Beechcraft Baron, and Cessna aircraft) was largely retired or absorbed. The operating fleet under SmartLynx Australia primarily consists of De Havilland Canada Dash 8 turboprops for regional routes and is expanding to include Airbus A320 family aircraft for ACMI and charter operations. [13] Prior to full integration, the West Wing Aviation fleet included: [14]

West Wing Aviation fleet
AircraftTotal
Beechcraft Super King Air B200 2
Beechcraft Baron 4
Cessna 182 Skylane 1
Cessna 402 2
Cessna 404 Titan 2

    See also

    References

    1. ↑ "West Wing Aviation Pty Ltd". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
    2. ↑ "West Wings Aviation History". www.westwing.com.au. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
    3. ↑ "Queensland airline Skytrans shuts down". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2 January 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
    4. ↑ "Cape York air services to continue despite SkyTrans closure". Brisbane Times. 4 January 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
    5. ↑ "Skytrans banner to fly again across far north Queensland". ABC News. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
    6. ↑ "West Wing to fly to Cape York under the banner of Skytrans". CairnsPost. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
    7. ↑ "West Wing to bring Skytrans back with flights to start on April 1 | Australian Aviation". australianaviation.com.au. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
    8. ↑ "Australia's Skytrans to resume flights on April 1". ch-aviation. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
    9. ↑ Tamm, Heike (4 March 2024). "Avia Solutions Group concludes acquisition of Skytrans Airlines". AviTrader Aviation News. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
    10. ↑ Nelson, Jake. "Exclusive: SmartLynx Australia to rebrand after less than a year". Australian Aviation. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
    11. ↑ "Australia's Skytrans rebrands as SmartLynx Australia". ch-aviation. Archived from the original on 21 October 2025. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
    12. ↑ "Regional Passenger Flights in Australia - Find & Book Your Flight". ACMI, charter, and passengers operator | SmartLynx Airlines. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
    13. ↑ Today, MRO Business (3 March 2025). "Skytrans receives AOC for ACMI operations with Airbus A319". MRO Business Today, Latest Aerospace News. Retrieved 24 December 2025.{{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
    14. ↑ "The Smartlynx Australia Fleet | Versatile & Reliable Aircraft". ACMI, charter, and passengers operator | SmartLynx Airlines. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
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