Sounds Air

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Sounds Air
Sounds Air logo.svg
IATA ICAO Callsign
S8SDA [1] SOUNDSAIR [1]
Founded1986
Operating bases Wellington International Airport
Fleet size10
Destinations9
HeadquartersBlenheim, New Zealand
Key peopleCliff Marchant (Founder), Andrew Crawford (Chief Executive/Director), Rhyan Wardman (Chairman, Director), Steve Handyside (Director), Simon Craddock (Director)
Website soundsair.com
A Sounds Air Cessna Caravan at Wellington International Airport in 2009 Sounds Air Aircraft In Wellington.jpg
A Sounds Air Cessna Caravan at Wellington International Airport in 2009
Sounds Air Grand Caravan landing at Picton in 2006. Cessna 208 (Sounds Air) Picton-Koromiko airfield.jpg
Sounds Air Grand Caravan landing at Picton in 2006.
A Sounds Air Grand Caravan at Christchurch Airport in 2014. Sounds Air Caravan at Christchurch Airport.jpg
A Sounds Air Grand Caravan at Christchurch Airport in 2014.
One of Sounds Air's PC12's (ZK-PLV) at Wellington International. Sounds Air PC-12 ZK-PLV at WLG (32929247345).jpg
One of Sounds Air's PC12's (ZK-PLV) at Wellington International.

Sounds Air is a New Zealand airline based in Marlborough. [2] The airline was founded in 1986 by Cliff and Diane Marchant to provide low cost flights to the Marlborough Sounds. [3] The airline's head office as well as it's Sounds Aero Maintenance division is based at Omaka aerodrome. [4]

Contents

History

From a single Cessna Caravan operating one route across the Cook Strait, Sounds Air has grown in 30 years; the airline carried 78,000 passengers in 2015, compared to 14,000 passengers in 2003. In 2008 the airline set up its own maintenance division as the airline could not find a company suitable to maintain its fleet. [5] In 2017, Sounds Air signalled that they were looking at buying twin engine planes for the first time: up to three 19-seater Beech 1900 aircraft to support extra demand for the Blenheim to Christchurch route. [6]

Services

Sounds Air operates scheduled flights between Wellington and Picton, Nelson, Blenheim, Taupō and Westport. [7] [8] Scheduled flights are also available between Blenheim and Christchurch, [9] [10] Wanaka and Paraparaumu. Nelson also has flights to Paraparaumu. [11] Sounds Air formerly served Kaikoura, Napier and Whanganui [12] from Wellington, Napier from Blenheim and Kāpiti Coast from Picton. [13] A service to Masterton was being considered from Wellington, however no such service eventuated, because the town wanted the link to Auckland reinstated instead. [14] In addition to scheduled flights Sounds Air offers scenic flights over the Marlborough Sounds and Abel Tasman National Park. [15] The airline started temporary services to Kaikoura from Christchurch and Blenheim on 21 November 2016 following the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake. [16] The Kaikoura to Christchurch flights ceased from 27 January 2017 [17] followed by the Blenheim flights on 29 December 2017. From this date onwards Kaikoura will become a charter route only. [18] Sounds Air commenced Christchurch to Wānaka another former Air New Zealand route on 2 November 2020. [19]

Destinations

Sounds Air operates scheduled services to the following destinations within New Zealand:

CityIATAAirportStatus
Blenheim BHE Woodbourne Airport Current
Christchurch CHC Christchurch International Airport Current
Kaikōura KBZ Kaikoura Airport Terminated
Napier NPE Hawke's Bay Airport [20] Terminated
Nelson NSN Nelson Airport Current
Paraparaumu PPQ Kapiti Coast Airport Current
Picton PCN Picton Aerodrome Current
Taupō TUO Taupō Airport Current
Wānaka WKA Wānaka Airport Current [19]
Wellington WLG Wellington International Airport Current
Westport WSZ Westport Airport Current
Whanganui WAG Whanganui Airport Terminated

Fleet

As of May 2024 the Sounds Air fleet consists of ten aircraft. [21] 6 Pilatus PC-12's which are a pressurized, single-engined, turboprop aircraft manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Stans, Switzerland since 1991. It was designed as a high-performance utility aircraft powered by the Pratt & Whitney PT6A turboprop. They incorporate a large aft cargo door in addition to the main passenger door. It is configured in a 9 seat commuter configuration with 1-1 arrangement. And 4 Cessna 208 Caravan's which are strutted, high wing aircraft with an unpressurized cabin. They are powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A tractor turboprop and have a fixed tricycle landing gear. 2 of the 4 are 208's which seat 12 people in a 1-2 configuration with a 2 person bench seat in the aft section. The 2 others are the stretched 208B's which seat 13 people in a 1-2 configuration.

AircraftTotalOrdersPassengers
(Economy)
Cessna 208 Caravan
4
12
Pilatus PC-12
6
9 [5]
Total10

Future

On 28 September 2020, the airline signed a letter of intent to Swedish company Heart Aerospace to purchase their ES-19 electric aircraft once it comes available, scheduled for 2026. The airline hopes the ES-19 will be able to make them the first regional airline to offer Zero-emissions flights. [22] In 2022 this was upgraded to the ES-30. [23]

Accidents and incidents

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. 1 2 Not an ICAO allocation – issued for domestic use by the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand
  2. ↑ "Airline schedules more Nelson flights". The Nelson Mail. 20 November 2007. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
  3. ↑ "Sounds Air » Company background". Archived from the original on 4 December 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  4. ↑ Ltd, Beacon Hill Design. "Sounds Aero Maintenance » Marlborough based aircraft maintenance". www.soundsaero.co.nz.
  5. 1 2 Lewis, Oliver. "Charting its own course: Marlborough airline Sounds Air is flying high in the cut-throat world of aviation". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  6. ↑ "Larger planes between Christchurch and Blenheim could return early next year". Stuff .co.nz. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
  7. ↑ L, Steve (21 January 2015). "3rd Level New Zealand: Exciting News for Sounds Air and Westport".
  8. ↑ "Regional routes rise again". Stuff. 13 March 2015.
  9. ↑ "Sounds Air to replace Air NZ on Christchurch to Blenheim route". Stuff.co.nz. 17 June 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  10. ↑ "Wine flights on track for November". Stuff. 29 September 2015.
  11. ↑ "Timetables". Sounds Air. Archived from the original on 22 January 2009. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
  12. ↑ "Airline cans Wellington service". Wanganui Chronicle. 2 May 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  13. ↑ L, Steve (23 December 2013). "3rd Level New Zealand: A lovely day in Kaikoura".
  14. ↑ "Sounds Air looks at landing Wairarapa deal". Stuff. 13 September 2013.
  15. ↑ "Sounds Air » Scenic Flights". Archived from the original on 27 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  16. ↑ "Sounds Air starts special flights to quake-hit Kaikoura". Newshub. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  17. ↑ "Sounds Air". www.facebook.com.
  18. ↑ L, Steve (22 December 2017). "3rd Level New Zealand: Kaikoura Flights to End".
  19. 1 2 "Sounds Air confirms November start date for Christchurch to Wanaka service" . Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  20. ↑ "Planes going one way empty': Sounds Air cut Napier to Blenheim service" . Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  21. ↑ "Sounds Air Fleet & Planes - Sounds Air".
  22. ↑ "Sounds Air aims to offer first regional zero-emission flights". Radio New Zealand . 28 September 2020.
  23. ↑ "Heart highlights customer acceptance of switch to 30-seater".
  24. ↑ "Aviation Reports". TAIC. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  25. ↑ "Aviation Reports". TAIC. Retrieved 26 February 2013.

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