Nigel Price has kindly sent this photograph of the Taupo Gliding Clubs new ASK 21 ZK-GTG2 , c/n 21865, taken at Centenial Park Taupo on February the 13th. It was registered to the Club on 12-01-2010 and takes up the marks previously used on the Tauranga Gliding Clubs Schempp-Hirth Janus B which was re-registered as ZK-GRX in December of 2006.

Our first ASK21, ZK-GAK2 was listed with the Auckland Gliding Club at Drury in early December last year.

I had to overnight recently on the Solley's airstrip, which is north of Collingwood, and found this old Bedford truck, unit number 63 of Rowley Aviation of Amberley, lurking at the northeasten end of the strip near the loading bin. It obviously has not moved for some time and is showing severe signs of body rot.

Any thoughts on what is parked above and forward of this wheel ?

Mild February growth

Jat has recorded a second consecutive month of growth with a 2% passenger increase in February 2010 when compared to February last year. Jat transported a total of 122.923 passengers while its average cabin load factor stood at 47.5%, 3% less than in February 2009. More importantly, the airline managed to record high scale growth on services to Podgorica and Tivat. Jat’s Montenegro passenger numbers collapsed in the first half of 2009 and until now have not been able to recover. Jat transported 7.830 passengers to Montenegro in February (compared to 5.230), 45.384 passengers on Euro-Mediterranean services (compared to 49.453) and 1.376 passengers on charter flights (compared to 933 in February 2009).

The airline’s Brussels flights continue to report the greatest growth in its network in comparison to last year. The flights saw a 155% passenger increase. It is followed by Podgorica (+61%) and Tivat (+23%). Jat is reporting its greatest decline on flights to Athens, hit by fierce competition from Aegean Airlines. A similar decline can be noted on the airline’s Tel Aviv flights. Despite new competition from Niki and an increased flight offering from Austrian Airlines, the Serbian national carrier reported an 8% growth in passenger numbers on flights to Vienna. Whether this trend will continue in March remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, on March 1, Jat launched a new advertising campaign. The airline has introduced a daily “Jat bulletin” on a popular Belgrade based channel 3 times per day. During the bulletin Jat’s new PR manager invites passengers to use the services of the national carrier, advertising promotional tickets and destinations.

Soon in Belgrade and Zagreb

Speaking at a press conference in Antalya, Turkey, the CEO of B&H Airlines, Nudžeim Rečica, announced that the carrier is planning to commence services to Belgrade and Zagreb. “Soon we will commence services to Belgrade, Zagreb and Banja Luka. Particularly interesting is the line to Banja Luka which will be served to Sarajevo 11 times per week. The 20 minute flight will bring these 2 cities closer together and Banja Luka closer to the world”, Rečica told the “Dnevni Avaz” newspapers.

Rečica believes that the airline should have better finances after visa free travel to Schengen Zone countries for Bosnian citizens is available. Although no firm dates have been set, it is speculated that visas may be lifted during the summer, which would naturally increase passenger numbers.

Both Croatia Airlines and Jat Airways operate flights to Sarajevo. B&H Airlines code shares on Jat’s service to Belgrade. Jat’s Sarajevo service is one of the worst performing flights in its network. Croatia Airlines offers 12 weekly flights from Zagreb to Sarajevo.

Rečica did not mention new services to Amsterdam which are expected to be launched this summer. B&H Airlines is yet to publish its 2010 summer timetable.

The doors closed on Skysales Aviation (NZ) Ltd of Christchurch last month.
Started as a one man band some years back; It was absorbed into the Eastland Group of Companies as indeed was Flightline.
A victim of the times; the Hughes/MD assetts going to Flightline at Momona (Dunedin) and the Robinson stock to Flightline at Ardmore (Auckland).

19 years later

Adria Airways will touch down at Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla Airport today at 15.05 CET, almost 19 years after it operated its last flight to the Serbian capital. The airline ceased operations to Belgrade in 1991. Just before the outbreak of war, Adria Airways accounted for 15% of domestic passengers and 5% of Euro-Mediterranean passengers in Yugoslavia. The passenger flow between Serbia and Slovenia in 1990 stood at 10% (compared to 34% between Serbia and Croatia and 21% within Croatia itself).

Adria’s 6 weekly service to Belgrade will be in direct competition with Jat Airways’ 4 weekly flights. However, cooperation between the 2 carriers is likely after the managements of both airlines met in Belgrade last week. Adria will operate the service with a Bombardier CRJ200. Adria Airways becomes the 22nd scheduled carrier operating out of Belgrade this 2009/2010 winter season.

All 2010 summer schedules for EX-YU airlines will be available for view here in mid March. They will be published simultaneously unlike last year. The 2010 summer season begins on Sunday, March 28.