Golden Bay Air Explained

Airline:Golden Bay Air
Iata:G1[1]
Icao:GBY[2] [3]
Callsign:GOLDEN BAY
Founded:27 September 2006 as Capital Air[4]
26 May 2009 as Golden Bay Air[5]
Bases:Tākaka Aerodrome, Tākaka
Focus Cities:Wellington
Fleet Size:4
Destinations:4
Headquarters:Tākaka
Key People:Majority shareholders:[6]
Lisa Sheppard
Richard Molloy

Golden Bay Air Limited is a small airline based at Tākaka Aerodrome in Tākaka, New Zealand. The airline currently operates three light aircraft from Tākaka to Wellington and Karamea, and also from Nelson to Tākaka and Karamea with connecting road shuttle services to the Abel Tasman National Park, the Heaphy Track in the Kahurangi National Park and to and from Tākaka township. Other services provided by the airline include charter flights around New Zealand flown on demand and preset scenic routes around the national parks as well as Farewell Spit.[7]

History

Golden Bay Air originated in November 2005 as Zephair Limited, and flights began in 2006 under the name Capital Air. The name of the company was legally changed to Capital Air Bookings Ltd in September of that year, and the airline changed its name to the one currently used in May 2009.[8]

The airline was originally based in Wellington, but moved its base of operations to Tākaka at the time of the name change in 2009.[9]

In 2010, Golden Bay Air commissioned a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) instrument approach system at Tākaka Aerodrome.[10] [8]

In April 2018, Golden Bay Air ceased passenger operations temporarily as their air operator certificate issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand had lapsed. The airline chartered flights from other airlines in order to honour bookings.[11] The airline announced on 19 May 2018 that the re-certification procedure had been completed.[12] [13]

Fleet

In late 2022, the airline added a Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander to its fleet.[14] The following aircraft are operated by the airline:[15] [16]

AircraftTotalOrdersPassengers
(Economy)
Gippsland GA8 Airvan7
Piper Archer3
Piper Seneca5
Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander9
Total4

Destinations

Golden Bay Air operates scheduled services to four airports:[17]

In addition to the scheduled flights, on demand flights operate between Karamea and Motueka.

Notes and References

  1. Not an IATA allocation – issued for domestic use by the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand
  2. Not an ICAO allocation – issued for domestic use by the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand
  3. Web site: Approved Operator Call Signs. March 2017. Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand. 17 September 2018. 7 June 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170607000556/https://www.caa.govt.nz/airlines/Approved_Signs.pdf. dead.
  4. Web site: Capital Air Ltd. – Particulars of name change. 13 September 2010.
  5. Web site: Golden Bay Air Ltd. – Particulars of name change. 13 September 2010.
  6. Web site: Shareholdings of Golden Bay Air Limited. 27 November 2023.
  7. Web site: Golden Bay Air Scenic Flights. 17 September 2010.
  8. Web site: The Sun is Shining on Golden Bay Air. L. Steve. 30 June 2011. 3rd Level New Zealand. 17 September 2018.
  9. Web site: Particulars of Shareholders . 17 September 2010.
  10. Web site: Golden Bay Air Home Page. 17 September 2010.
  11. News: Golden Bay Air chartering from rivals after operator certificate lapses. Rutherford. Hamish. 9 April 2018 . Stuff.co.nz. 17 September 2018.
  12. Web site: Golden Bay Air Facebook Post. 19 May 2018. Facebook. 17 September 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180917024855/https://www.facebook.com/GoldenBayAir/photos/a.176430949128779/1579744388797421/?type=3. 17 September 2018. "Great news – Our 5 yearly re-certification is complete! Online bookings are now available out to 30 November 2019 for all our scheduled flights and shuttles between Wellington – Takaka – Nelson – Karamea – Brown Hut. Other services like on-demand shuttles, rental cars and charters are also available for booking.".
  13. Web site: Golden Bay Air – All Systems are Go. L. Steve. 20 May 2018. 3rd Level New Zealand. 17 September 2018.
  14. News: Extra capacity on flights between Wellington and Golden Bay . The Guardian . 18 January 2023 . 5.
  15. Web site: Golden Bay – Fleet . 2 Dec 2021.
  16. News: Granville . Alan . Come fly with me, a look at New Zealand's smaller airlines: Golden Bay Air . 20 February 2021 . . 14 December 2020.
  17. Web site: Golden Bay Air Scheduled Flights. Golden Bay Air. 17 September 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180917031140/http://www.goldenbayair.co.nz/takakaflights.html. 17 September 2018.