Sounds Air
IATA ICAO Callsign
S8 SDA[1] SOUNDSAIR[1]
Founded1986
Operating basesWellington International Airport
Fleet size10
Destinations9
HeadquartersPicton, New Zealand
Key peopleCliff Marchant (Founder), Andrew Crawford (Chief Executive/Director), Rhyan Wardman (Chairman, Director), Steve Handyside (Director), Simon Craddock (Director)
Websitesoundsair.com
A Sounds Air Cessna Caravan at Wellington International Airport in 2009
Sounds Air Grand Caravan landing at Picton in 2006.
A Sounds Air Grand Caravan at Christchurch Airport in 2014.
One of Sounds Air's PC12's (ZK-PLV) at Wellington International.

Sounds Air is a New Zealand airline based at Picton.[2] The airline was founded in 1986 by Cliff and Diane Marchant to provide low cost flights to the Marlborough Sounds.[3] The airline has a maintenance facility at Omaka aerodrome with its Sounds Aero Maintenance division based there.[4]

History

From a single Cessna Caravan operating one route across the Cook Strait, Sounds Air has grown in 30 years; the airline carried 78,000 passengers in 2015, compared to 14,000 passengers in 2003. In 2008 the airline set up its own maintenance division as the airline could not find a company suitable to maintain its fleet.[5] In 2017, Sounds Air signalled that they were looking at buying twin engine planes for the first time: up to three 19-seater Beech 1900 aircraft to support extra demand for the Blenheim to Christchurch route.[6]

Services

Sounds Air operates scheduled flights between Wellington and Picton, Nelson, Blenheim, Taupō and Westport.[7][8] Scheduled flights are also available between Blenheim and Christchurch,[9][10] and Paraparaumu. Nelson also has flights to Paraparaumu.[11] Sounds Air formerly served Kaikoura, Napier and Whanganui[12] from Wellington, Napier from Blenheim and Kāpiti Coast from Picton.[13] A service to Masterton was being considered from Wellington, however no such service eventuated, because the town wanted the link to Auckland reinstated instead.[14] In addition to scheduled flights Sounds Air offers scenic flights over the Marlborough Sounds and Abel Tasman National Park.[15] The airline started temporary services to Kaikoura from Christchurch and Blenheim on 21 November 2016 following the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake.[16] The Kaikoura to Christchurch flights ceased from 27 January 2017[17] followed by the Blenheim flights on 29 December 2017. From this date onwards Kaikoura will become a charter route only.[18] Sounds Air commenced Christchurch to Wānaka another former Air New Zealand route on 2 November 2020.[19]

Destinations

Sounds Air operates scheduled services to the following destinations within New Zealand:

City IATA Airport Status
BlenhiemBHEWoodbourne AirportCurrent
ChristchurchCHCChristchurch International AirportCurrent
KaikōuraKBZKaikoura AirportTerminated
NapierNPEHawke's Bay Airport[20]Terminated
NelsonNSNNelson AirportCurrent
ParaparaumuPPQKapiti Coast AirportCurrent
PictonPCNPicton AerodromeCurrent
TaupōTUOTaupō AirportCurrent
WānakaWKAWānaka AirportCurrent[19]
WellingtonWLGWellington International AirportCurrent
WestportWSZWestport AirportCurrent
WhanganuiWAGWhanganui AirportTerminated

Fleet

As of July 2020 the Sounds air fleet consists of ten aircraft.[21]

Aircraft Total Orders Passengers
(Economy)
Cessna 208 Caravan
4
 12
Pilatus PC-12
6
 9[5]
Total 10

Future

On 28 September 2020, the airline signed a letter of intent to Swedish company Heart Aerospace to purchase their ES-19 electric aircraft once it comes available, scheduled for 2026. The airline hopes the ES-19 will be able to make them the first regional airline to offer Zero-emissions flights.[22] In 2022 this was upgraded to the ES-30.[23]

Accidents and incidents

  • On 19 March 1989 Britten Norman BN2A Islander, ZK-SFE, while attempting to land at Tiraora Lodge struck a telephone wire and descended into the sea. The pilot and five passengers were rescued but suffered varying degrees of injury.[24]
  • On 29 January 1996 Cessna 208 Caravan, ZK-SFA, crashed into the eastern slopes of Mount Robertson on approach to Picton Aerodrome at Koromiko after a flight from Wellington. All five passengers were killed, but the pilot survived.[25]

References

  1. 1 2 Not an ICAO allocation – issued for domestic use by the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand
  2. ↑ "Airline schedules more Nelson flights". The Nelson Mail. 20 November 2007. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
  3. ↑ "Sounds Air » Company background". Archived from the original on 4 December 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  4. ↑ Ltd, Beacon Hill Design. "Sounds Aero Maintenance » Marlborough based aircraft maintenance". www.soundsaero.co.nz.
  5. 1 2 Lewis, Oliver. "Charting its own course: Marlborough airline Sounds Air is flying high in the cut-throat world of aviation". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  6. ↑ "Larger planes between Christchurch and Blenheim could return early next year". Stuff .co.nz. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
  7. ↑ L, Steve (21 January 2015). "3rd Level New Zealand: Exciting News for Sounds Air and Westport".
  8. ↑ "Regional routes rise again". Stuff. 13 March 2015.
  9. ↑ "Sounds Air to replace Air NZ on Christchurch to Blenheim route". Stuff.co.nz. 17 June 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  10. ↑ "Wine flights on track for November". Stuff. 29 September 2015.
  11. ↑ "Timetables". Sounds Air. Archived from the original on 22 January 2009. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
  12. ↑ "Airline cans Wellington service". Wanganui Chronicle. 2 May 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  13. ↑ L, Steve (23 December 2013). "3rd Level New Zealand: A lovely day in Kaikoura".
  14. ↑ "Sounds Air looks at landing Wairarapa deal". Stuff. 13 September 2013.
  15. ↑ "Sounds Air » Scenic Flights". Archived from the original on 27 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  16. ↑ "Sounds Air starts special flights to quake-hit Kaikoura". Newshub. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  17. ↑ "Sounds Air". www.facebook.com.
  18. ↑ L, Steve (22 December 2017). "3rd Level New Zealand: Kaikoura Flights to End".
  19. 1 2 "Sounds Air confirms November start date for Christchurch to Wanaka service". Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  20. ↑ "Planes going one way empty': Sounds Air cut Napier to Blenheim service". Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  21. ↑ "Sounds Air Fleet & Planes - Sounds Air".
  22. ↑ "Sounds Air aims to offer first regional zero-emission flights". Radio New Zealand. 28 September 2020.
  23. ↑ "Heart highlights customer acceptance of switch to 30-seater".
  24. ↑ "Aviation Reports". TAIC. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  25. ↑ "Aviation Reports". TAIC. Retrieved 26 February 2013.

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