Air NZ buys new aircraft to service domestic routes

By DANIEL RIORDAN

Air New Zealand is buying 16 new Beech 1900D aircraft from US-based Raytheon Aircraft Co to replace Metroliners and Embraer Bandeirantes on its domestic routes.

The 19-seater Beech aircraft will be introduced over 18 months from May, replacing 12 19-seat Metroliners and eight 15-seater Bandeirantes, types of planes which have been flown by Air NZ for 20 years.

The price of the new aircraft and the acquisition arrangements have not been disclosed but Ian Thomas of the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation in Sydney said Beech 1900Ds were typically priced at about $US4.5 million ($10 million) each.

However, Air New Zealand is likely to have paid considerably less than the $190 million that price suggests. A discount for a bulk order is probable. Air NZ spokesman Cameron Hill said there would be some minor changes to the provincial network schedule as a result of the new planes. The Beech 1900D cruises at up to 510 km/h while the Metroliner cruises at 460 km/h and the Bandeirante at 414 km/h.

Meanwhile, on overseas routes, Transport Minister Mark Gosche has announced that Air New Zealand can increase its seat capacity to Japan by nearly 20 per cent from May 2002, following an agreement two weeks ago between Wellington and Tokyo.

The access pact, which allows the airline to fly two more Boeing 767s to Tokyo each week, will bring the number of weekly flights to seven.