Sunair



Sunair is an airline headquartered in Tauranga, on the North Island of New Zealand. It operates scheduled services, flying to Gisborne, Hamilton, Wairoa, Napier, Whangārei, Whitianga, Motiti Island and Great Barrier Island. It also has charter and pilot training operations. Sunair has fifteen aircraft.

History
Sunair initially started as a commuter operator to Motiti Island in the Bay of Plenty with one aircraft. The airline has flown for over 30 years and has a safe accident free record. It operates approximately 4000 flights per year with a staff of 28.

The Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand withdrew Sunair's Air Operator Certificate, along with the Certificate of Airworthiness for the Sunair fleet, on September 8, 2017. No reason for the certificate withdrawal has been made public by the Authority. The airline remained inoperative while the matter was pursued by the authority.

Sunair remained grounded for 203 days and was finally granted permission to fly again in April 2018, by NZ CAA.

The first service resumed in its own right was the doctor service between Whangārei and Kaitaia, which Sunair had been able to continue to operate using leased aircraft. Scheduled services were offered again from 28 May 2018 with flights being offered from Hamilton or Tauranga to Great Barrier Island or Whangārei, and from Great Barrier Island to Whitianga or Whangārei.

Destinations
As of March 2024, Sunair currently operates services from the following destinations:

Terminated Destinations

 * Auckland - Auckland Airport
 * Ardmore - Ardmore Airport
 * New Plymouth - New Plymouth Airport
 * Palmerston North - Palmerston North Airport
 * Paraparaumu - Kapiti Coast Airport
 * Kerikeri - Kerikeri Airport
 * Wellington - Wellington Airport
 * Whakatāne - Whakatāne Airport
 * Rotorua - Rotorua Airport
 * North Shore - North Shore Aerodrome

Fleet
As of December 2020, the Sunair fleet consists of the following light aircraft:


 * 3 Cessna 172
 * 9 Piper PA-23 Aztec

Former fleet
Over the years Sunair has flown many kinds of airplanes.


 * Cessna 402
 * Cessna 206
 * Piper PA-28 Cherokee
 * Piper PA-31 Navajo
 * Partenavia P.68
 * Cessna 421