Pearl Aviation

Pearl Aviation is an Australian aviation company that operates charter (some in support of the mining industry) and medical evacuation flights, as well as navigational aid flight inspection services, flight centres and ground handling. It is part of the Paspaley Group. Its main base and flight centre is Darwin International Airport, with other bases at Brisbane Airport, Cairns Airport, Perth Airport and Essendon Airport in Melbourne.[1]

Pearl Aviation
IATA ICAO Callsign
ADA AUSCAL
Founded1997
Parent company[Paspaley Pearling]
HeadquartersDarwin, Northern Territory

History

The airline was formed and started operations in 1964 as Skywest Aviation, which acquired East-West Airlines in 1984 and was itself acquired by Ansett Airlines in 1987. The company was divided into airline and non-airline operations and the non-airline operations were purchased in 1996 by Paspaley Pearling (which by that time had been operating aircraft to its pearl farms for over ten years) and renamed.[2] One of the divisions of East-West that was purchased was an operation at Sydney Airport, conducting air ambulance flights for the Ambulance Service of New South Wales. In 2004 Pearl Aviation was awarded a ten-year contract to operate four Beechcraft Super King Airs configured as air ambulances for the Northern Territory Aerial Medical Service,[3] after losing a similar Ambulance Service of New South Wales contract to the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia the previous year. In 2010 the Northern Territory Aerial Medical Service terminated the contract with Pearl Aviation.

Pearl Aviation is wholly owned by the Paspaley Pearls Group and has 8 employees.[4]

AeroPearl is a joint venture between Pearl Aviation and Aerodata AG of Germany, based at Brisbane Airport.[5] It operates under contract to Airservices Australia; it uses two Beechcraft Super King Airs to check the network of Australian civil aviation navaids, and has also performed similar work in various Asian countries.[6]

Super King Air 350 VH-FIY
Grumman G-73AT turbine Mallard at Truscott Mungalalu
Super King Air 350 VH-FIZ

Fleet

Current fleet

As of January 2020 the Pearl Aviation fleet includes:[1][7]

The Dornier 328 aircraft are operated from four separate bases in Australia on a ten-year contract for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). Some 120 staff are involved in providing the service.[8]

The Grumman Mallard aircraft are operated in support of the Paspaley Pearling Company's ship fleet.[9]

Former fleet

In 2016 Pearl Aviation scaled back its charter services from Darwin due to reduced demand from the mining sector. At that time its fleet included the following aircraft:[10]

At December 2009 the Pearl Aviation fleet consisted of:[11][12][13]

See also

References
  1. "Pearl Aviation". Paspaley. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  2. AeroPearl Intercom Newsletter No. 7. Archived 18 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved: 9 September 2008.
  3. "Aerial Medical Service Celebrates 60 Years Of Service"; Northern Territory Government Media Release. Archived 26 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved: 10 September 2008
  4. "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 10 April 2007. p. 62.
  5. "Where we are"; AeroPearl website. Archived 5 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved: 9 September 2008.
  6. "Key Operations and Current Programs"; AeroPearl website. Archived 5 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved: 9 September 2008.
  7. "Pearl Aviation". Rzjets. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  8. "Pearl Aviation - AeroRescue". Paspaley. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  9. "Pearl Aviation - Paspaley Pearling Company". Paspaley. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  10. "Australia's Pearl Aviation to scale back Darwin operations". Ch.aviation. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  11. Australian civil aircraft register search Archived 13 December 2009 at Archive.today using "AeroRescue" as the Registered Operator search parameter. Search conducted 2009-12-30.
  12. Australian civil aircraft register search Archived 13 December 2009 at Archive.today using "Paspaley" as the Registered Owner search parameter. Search conducted 2009-12-30.
  13. Australian civil aircraft register search Archived 13 December 2009 at Archive.today using "Pearl Aviation" as the Registered Operator search parameter. Search conducted 2009-12-30.
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