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This article is about the former airline of New Zealand. For the Guam-based airline, see Freedom Air (Guam).

Freedom Air was a New Zealand low-cost airline which operated from December 1995 until March 2008. It operated scheduled passenger services from New Zealand to Australia and Fiji, and charter services within New Zealand. It was a subsidiary of Air New Zealand.

History

Freedom Air’s leased Boeing 757-200 at Hamilton Airport, used on its inaugural flight in 1995
A Freedom Air Airbus A320-200 at Christchurch Airport in 2006
A Freedom Air Airbus A320-200 with a special livery to promote Warner Bros. Movie World

Freedom Air was established in 1995 as a response to the commencement of discount services between New Zealand and Australia by Kiwi Travel International Airlines and started operations on 8 December 1995 with a single Boeing 757-200.[1][2] It was formed as South Pacific Air Charters by Mount Cook Airline and renamed Freedom Air International in 1998.

In May 2001, Freedom Air begain operating domestic services between Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.[3] By 2004, its fleet had expanded to five Boeing 737-300s[4], 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.[5] Flights to Fiji were also operated.

In June 2006, the aircraft from Freedom Air were combined with Air New Zealand’s fleet of Airbus A320-200s under the air operator’s certificate of Zeal320.[6] When the airline ceased Zeal320 had one aircraft painted in Freedom Air livery.[7]

Air New Zealand ceased all Freedom Air operations from the end of March 2008.[2][8]

Destinations

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 Flights to Nadi and Newcastle were withdrawn prior to 2008.

Fleet

Freedom Air had operated the following aircraft:[citation needed]

Freedom Air fleet
Aircraft Total Introduced Retired Notes
Airbus A320-200 13 2005[12] 2008 3 leased from Air New Zealand
Boeing 737-200 2 2001 2001 1 leased from Airwork
Boeing 737-300 9 1996 2006 3 leased from Air New Zealand
2 leased from TACA Airlines
1 leased from Polynesian Airlines
1 leased from Transavia
Boeing 757-200 1 1995 1996 Leased from Britannia Airways

References

  1. ^ The Freedom Formula Australian Aviation issue 204 April 2004 pages 47/48
  2. ^ a b Air NZ’s competitors on domestic market Television New Zealand 23 August 2007
  3. ^ Tasman Pacific into receivership – Qantas & Freedom launch NZ domestic services Australian Aviation issue 173 June 2001 page 81
  4. ^ Freedom Air’s fifth aircraft takes to the skies Freedom Air 10 December 2004
  5. ^ “Directory: World Airlines”. Flight International. 3 April 2007. p. 84.
  6. ^ “New Zealand Aircraft Register”. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2007.
  7. ^ Details on AviationPage New Zealand Archived 14 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ “Air NZ to ground Freedom Air”. Stuff. 6 September 2007. Archived from the original on 21 June 2008. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  9. ^ “Freedom Air – Route Guide”. Archived from the original on 26 June 2007. Retrieved 23 October 2007.
  10. ^ Freedom Air flies into Newcastle ABC News 15 December 2001
  11. ^ Freedom Air Press Release – Freedom Air Wellington – Fiji Service Takes Flight Archived 24 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine, 11 February 2005
  12. ^ Freedom Air annouces it will introduce, really big seats Freedom Air 12 August 2005

Wikimedia Commons logo Media related to Freedom Air at Wikimedia Commons