Freedom Air Explained

Airline:Freedom Air International
Iata:SJ
Icao:FOM
Callsign:FREE AIR
Parent:Air New Zealand
Founded:1995
Commenced:8 December 1995
Ceased:30 March 2008
Headquarters:Auckland, New Zealand
Key People:Rob Fyfe (CEO)
Hubs:Auckland Airport
Fleet Size:11
Destinations:13
Website:www.freedomair.com

Freedom Air (legally Freedom Air International) was a New Zealand low-cost airline which operated since 8 December 1995 to March 2008. It was part of the Air New Zealand Group which ran scheduled passenger services from New Zealand to Australia and Fiji and charter services within New Zealand. Its main hub was Auckland Airport.[1]

History

The airline was established in 1995 as a response to the commencement of discount services between Australia and New Zealand by Kiwi Travel International Airlines[2] and started operations on 8 December 1995 with a single Boeing 757-200. It was ordinally formed as South Pacific Air Charters by Mount Cook Airline and renamed to Freedom Air International in 1998.

By 2004, its fleet had expanded to five Boeing 737-300[3] aircraft and it was providing direct non-stop services to the Australian cities of Brisbane, Gold Coast, Newcastle, Sydney and Melbourne from Hamilton, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Palmerston North. Flights to Fiji were also operated. 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.[2]

In June 2006, the aircraft from Freedom Air were combined with Air New Zealand's fleet of Airbus A320-200 under the air operator's certificate of Zeal320, which was then the sole operator of the Air New Zealand Group's Airbus fleet.[4] When the airline ceased Zeal320 had one aircraft painted in Freedom Air livery.[5] As such, Freedom Air has no aircraft or current air operator's certificate, and Freedom Air is no longer an operational entity.[6]

Air New Zealand ceased all Freedom Air operations from the end of March 2008.[7]

Destinations

Throughout its existence, Freedom Air flew to six destinations in New Zealand, five in Australia and one in Fiji.[8] When the airline shut down on 30 March 2008, all services were replaced by Air New Zealand flights, with the exception of flights out of Palmerston North, which left the airport without any international services.[9] Flights to Nadi and Newcastle were withdrawn prior to 2008.

Fleet

Freedom Air had operated the following aircraft:[12]

Freedom Air fleet
AircraftTotalIntroducedRetiredNotes
Airbus A320-20013200520083 leased from Air New Zealand
Boeing 737-2002200120011 leased from Airwork
Boeing 737-3009199620063 leased from Air New Zealand
1 leased from TACA Airlines
1 leased from Polynesian Airlines
1 leased from Transavia
Boeing 757-200119951996Leased from Britannia Airways

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Directory: World Airlines. Flight International. 84. 2007-04-03.
  2. Web site: Air NZ's competitors on domestic market. 23 August 2007. Television New Zealand. 30 September 2011.
  3. http://www.freedomair.com/en/display.aspx?id=129&type=2 Freedom Air Press Release - Freedom Air’s fifth aircraft takes to the skies
  4. Web site: New Zealand Aircraft Register . 31 October 2007 . 6 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160306022954/https://www.caa.govt.nz/Script/Air_Mod_List.asp?Model_ID=1400 . dead .
  5. http://www.aviationpage.co.nz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=30 Details on AviationPage New Zealand
  6. Web site: New Zealand Part 119 Air Operator certificate holders . 31 October 2007 . 6 August 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170806180712/http://www.caa.govt.nz/Script/AvDocClientList.asp?Details_ID=1 . dead .
  7. Web site: Air NZ to ground Freedom Air. 6 September 2007. Stuff.co.nz. 30 September 2011. 21 June 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080621103926/http://www.stuff.co.nz/4192461a10.html. dead.
  8. Web site: Freedom Air - Route Guide. 23 October 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070626183407/http://www.freedomair.com/en/fulldisplay.aspx?id=Route%20Guide&type=1. 26 June 2007. dead. dmy-all .
  9. 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
  10. http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200112/s441363.htm Freedom Air flies into Newcastle
  11. http://www.freedomair.com/en/display.aspx?id=129&type=2 Freedom Air Press Release – Freedom Air Wellington – Fiji Service Takes Flight
  12. Web site: Freedom Air International Fleet Details and History. Planespotters.net. April 11, 2022.