Ansett New Zealand
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| Founded | 1987 | ||||||
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| Ceased operations | 2001 | ||||||
| Destinations | Whangarei, Auckland, Hamilton, Rotorua, Whakatane, Palmerston North, Wellington, Nelson, Blenheim, Christchurch, Queenstown, Milford Sound, Te Anau, Dunedin and Invercargill. As of late 1990s | ||||||
| Headquarters | Auckland | ||||||
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.
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. 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. Newmans Air formed the basis for a new expanded airline, the company being Bilmans Management Ltd, operating as 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%. Subsequently, regulations were relaxed still further, and Ansett Australia took full ownership.
Operations started in 1987 with 3 Boeing 737-100 aircraft between Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. The ex Newmans Air Dash-7s were used on tourist routes Between Auckland, Rotorua, Christchurch, Mount Cook and Queenstown. The old and noisy Boeing 737 aircraft were replaced with new and quieter BAE-146 known as "Whisper Jets". Routes were extended to Dunedin and Invercargill. Also the old Dash-7s were replaced with the much more fuel efficient Dash-8. By the year 2000 the fleet had risen to 8 Bae-146s (1 a quick change version to convert to freighter operations) and 5 Dash-8s.
In 1996, Air New Zealand made a bid to purchase half of Ansett Australia, after an open skies agreement for the former to fly within Australia was abruptly withdrawn. 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.
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