Mainland Air

Mainland Air is a general aviation, flight training and air charter company operating out of Dunedin International Airport in New Zealand.[4]

Mainland Air
IATA ICAO Callsign
MD[1] MLD[2] Mainland[3]
Founded1991
Operating basesDunedin International Airport, Dunedin, New Zealand
Fleet size19
Destinations2 (scheduled)
Parent companyEnfield Holdings Ltd
HeadquartersDunedin, New Zealand
Key peoplePhillip & Shirley Kean (Managers)
Websitehttp://www.mainlandair.com/

History

Mainland Air was established in 1991 by Queenstown businessman Christopher Kelliher. From 1995 to 2006 the airline operated courier flights for New Zealand Post between Dunedin and Christchurch. Later in 2007 the airline started a thrice weekly Dunedin to Alexandra and Queenstown service using a ten-seater Piper Chieftain.[5] In March 2008 Mainland started a thrice weekly Dunedin to Invercargill service also using its Piper Chieftain aircraft. At that time Mainland were also considering services to Wanaka and Te Anau. Later all these scheduled services were dropped due to lack of demand. Late 2009 Chris Kelliher sold the company to the Paterson family who owned Mainland's major maintenance provider, Southair Ltd [6][7] In 2017 Mainland Air was sold to Phil and Shirley Kean, respectively the long time Chief Pilot and General Manager. Mainland operates two Piper Chieftain twin engine aircraft for charter and air ambulance duties, a fleet of Cessna 152 aircraft for pilot training, two Piper Seneca twin engine aircraft for charter and multi-engine instrument training and a twin engine Tecnam aircraft for pilot training.

Services
Mainland Air hangar at Dunedin Airport in 2009

Mainland Air Services provides charter flights throughout New Zealand. Its scenic flights visit popular destinations such as Milford Sound, Mount Aspiring/Tititea, Aoraki/Mount Cook, Fiordland, Omarama, Stewart Island/Rakiura, Taiaroa Heads and the Queenstown area.[8] As well as operating air ambulance transfer flights, Mainland Air provides charter flights for medical specialists from Dunedin to Invercargill and Alexandra several times per week on behalf of the Southern District Health Board.[9]

Mainland Air also operates a flying training school, called Mainland Aviation College.[10]

A scheduled service began on 4 June 2014 linking Oamaru and Christchurch using Piper Chieftain aircraft.[11] This service ended due to lack of patronage three months later.[12]

Flights linking Timaru and Wanaka to Christchurch, and Oamaru to Wellington have also been discussed.[13][14]

Fleet
Some of the Mainland Air fleet at Dunedin Airport

Mainland Air operates the following aircraft:[15]

Aircraft Number Notes
Cessna 152 6 active, 5 stored Flying school training aircraft
Cessna 172 3 Flying school training aircraft
Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain 2
Piper PA-34 Seneca III 2 active, one stored

See also

References
  1. Not an IATA allocation - issued for domestic use by the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand
  2. Not an ICAO allocation - issued for domestic use by the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand
  3. https://web.archive.org/web/20070808014205/http://www.caa.govt.nz/fulltext/Documents/Callsigns.PDF
  4. http://www.flydunedin.com/aviationservices.php
  5. "Mainland Air introduces Central Otago routes". 3 April 2008.
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. "The Mainland Touch". Pacific Wings. 1 June 2003. p. 26.
  8. http://www.mainlandair.com/scenic-flights.php
  9. "Pilot Delighted to purchase airline". 26 November 2013.
  10. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 27 May 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. "New Oamaru service takes off". 7 May 2014.
  12. Bruce, David (22 August 2014). "Mainland flights to end". Otago Daily Times.
  13. http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/10187905/Timaru-flights-to-be-considered
  14. http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/306804/new-plane-oamaru-chch-route
  15. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 10 May 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)


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