Aviair
Australian airline From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aviair Pty Ltd,[1] previously known as Slingair Heliwork,[2] is an airline and air charter company[3] based in Kununurra, Western Australia.[4] It is a wholly owned subsidiary of HM Consolidated Pty Ltd.[5] It operates air charter services and regular passenger services. Its main bases are Kununurra Airport, Broome International Airport and Karratha Airport.[4]
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| Founded | 1984 | ||||||
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| Hubs | Kununurra | ||||||
| Secondary hubs | Broome, Karratha | ||||||
| Fleet size | 30 | ||||||
| Destinations | 8 | ||||||
| Parent company | HM Consolidated Pty Ltd | ||||||
| Headquarters | Kununurra, Western Australia, Australia | ||||||
| Website | www.aviair.com.au | ||||||
History
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Aviair was established in 1984 as Slingair Heliwork by Kerry Slingsby. Aviair began providing air services in Kununurra, Western Australia shortly after its creation.[4]
In May 2008, Grant Kenny, Olympic Games Athlete and Ironman acquired Slingair for an unknown amount.[6]
Slingair received the Sir David Brand Award every year from 1996 to 1998 and was a finalist in 2000.[7][8]
In 2010 and 2015 Slingair supported field research for discovering rock shelters and artworks made by Aboriginal Australians in the Kimberley.[9][10]
In 2016 Slingair was purchased by the owners of HeliSpirit, Michael McConachy and Geoff Hamilton.[11] Slingair was renamed Aviair.
Further field research in the Kimberley region was supported by Aviair in 2019.[12]
On 6 May 2020, Aviair received $1.58 million to support it through the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the COVID-19 Regional Airline Network Support Program by the Australian Government.[13][14]
On 24 June 2021, Aviair announced they would commence a flight service from Derby to Broome on 16 August 2021.[15]
Destinations
Aviair provides scheduled services to the following destinations:[16][17]
Fleet
As of 2021, the Aviair fleet consists of the following aircraft:[18][19]
| Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| King Air B200 | 3 | — | |
| Cessna 208 Caravan | 13 | — | |
| Pilatus PC-12 | 5 | — | |
| GippsAero GA8 Airvan | 1 | — | |
| Beechcraft G58 Baron | 1 | — | |
| Cessna Citation Mustang | 2 | — | |
| Total | 25 | 0 | — |
HeliSpirit, Aviair's sister company,[20][21] also operates 25 helicopters:[18]
| Aircraft | In Service |
|---|---|
| Bell Jet Ranger | 4 |
| Bell Long Ranger | 4 |
| Robinson R44 | 15 |
| Robinson R66 | 1 |
| Robinson R22 | 1 |
| AS350 | 1 |
| Total | 25 |
Incidents and accidents
- On 18 August 2011, one of Slingair's former Cessna 210 Centurion aircraft (registration VH-OCM) performed a forced landing 800 meters short of runway 12 at East Kimberley Regional Airport due to the pilot failing to switch selected fuel tanks, causing engine to stop.[22][23]
- On 8 August 2015, one of Slingairs's Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft (registration VH-LNH) experienced an oil leak which forced them to return to their airport of origin.[24]
- On 16 November 2016, one of Aviair's Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft (registration VH-LNH) made a forced landing 8 km north-west of Solomon Airport, Western Australia due to an engine failure.[25]
- On 16 April 2022, an Aviair Beechcraft Baron aircraft (registration VH-NPT) with a pilot and passenger onboard was involved in a fire during final approach for runway 12 at East Kimberley Regional Airport which resulted in a runway undershoot. The passenger was fatally injured and the aircraft was destroyed.[26][27]
See also
References
External links
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