when did i say it wasn't good business?
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On this day 50 years ago maiden flight of a NAC Boeing 737
Air NZ still leading the way
https://twitter.com/ArchivesNZ/statu...30627976994818
Love those posters from those days
I see the main trunk route looks the same as 50 years ago. i haven't verified it yet but have heard Tauranga is now the 4th largest city so maybe it will become a main route soon (says he hopefully).
If you look at winner69's picture you will see it states "for NAC".
NAC actually got the first one in 1968.
ZK-NAC (c/n 19929, ex --) 737-219 First flown August 20, 1968 This aircraft was the first 737 on the New Zealand register. The aircraft was handed over to National Airways Corporation on August 30, 1968, and arrived in New Zealand on September 18. It went into service on October 7, 1968 named 'Piripiri'. Subsequently became part of Air New Zealand in 1978. Taken out of service on March 20, 1986 the aircraft had completed 36,553 hours/ 49,806 cycles in NAC/ANZ service. The aircraft was sold to International Finance Corporation (ILFC) and departed on March 24, 1986. The registration was withdrawn on April 22, and the aircraft become N321XV.
http://www.kiwiaircraftimages.com/737.html
Met a couple yesterday (with elderly parents and a small child) that was booked to fly Nelson-Auckland. Their flight was canceled with few hours notice "due to insufficient staff". They were put on a later ATR flight that then had problems and circled Palmerston Nth airport for sometime before landing there with a suspected faulty nose wheel landing gear. Driven from there to Wellington and on another flight to Auckland. Not a good day for them relying on AIR. And I though they had flown Jetstar when they told me about all of this !!
Very pleased it ended well for the passengers and crew. I heard about this on the radio as it unfolded. Could have been a different result if the landing gear really was inoperable. Relieved to hear on the 5.00 p.m. news everyone is well and plane landed safely. They did the right thing and evacuated everyone while the plane was still on the runway. Read another 9 flights in / out of Palmy were cancelled as the plane was left were it stopped awaiting a through engineering inspection.
Mechanical / electrical issues affect all airlines from time to time....far more so the incredibly old aircraft like Jetstar use.
Air New Zealand rated in the top 5 airlines in the world.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/new...ectid=11835698