VH-EWK BAe 146-300

This aircraft was built at the British Aerospace Hatfield plant for East-West Airlines

First flown as 'G-5-175' - September 06, 1990

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-EWK - September 28, 1990

Registered to East-West Airlines (Operations) Pty Ltd, Tamworth

It was configured to seat 94 economy class passengers

Departed Hatfield on the delivery flight to Australia - September 29, 1990

It arrived at Tamworth on completion of the delivery flight - October 04, 1990

Delivery route: Hatfield - Italy - Egypt - Yemen - Oman - India - Thailand - Singapore - Indonesia - Darwin - Tamworth

Operated its first revenue service - October 09, 1990

Withdrawn from service at Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - July 12, 1992

Ferried Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Melbourne (Tullamarine) - July 12, 1992

Overhauled and repainted into the Ansett New Zealand livery at Melbourne (Tullamarine)

Ferried Melbourne (Tullamarine) - Christchurch for service with Ansett New Zealand - July 24, 1992

Flight crew: Captain A. Hodges; F/O W. Ormsby; Passengers: D. Gill (NZ C.A.A.), A. Chudleigh, B. Freeman

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - July 24, 1992

Entered onto the New Zealand Aircraft Register as ZK-NZL - July 24, 1992

Registered to Bilmans Management Limited, Christchurch t/a 'Ansett New Zealand'

The aircraft was named 'City of Rotorua'

It was the first aircraft to be painted into the Ansett New Zealand 'Starmark' livery - 1995

Ansett New Zealand ceased operations - September 03, 2000

The aircraft had flown 22,622 hours with 25,189 cycles

Tasman Pacific Airlines of New Zealand began operating as Qantas New Zealand - September 04, 2000

Qantas New Zealand ceased all operations - April 21, 2001

To understand the Qantas New Zealand lineage please click 'HERE'

Ferried Wellington - Christchurch for storage - April 21, 2001

Returned to Bilmans Management Limited - April 2001

Leased to Mt Cook Airline Ltd

Registered to Mount Cook Airline Ltd - June 08, 2001

Operated its first Air New Zealand revenue service - July 02, 2001

Withdrawn from service - December 10, 2001

Returned to Bilmans Management Limited

Ferried Christchurch - Melbourne (Tullamarine) in an all-white livery for storage - December 21, 2001

Registered to Ansett Australia (Subject to Deed of Company Arrangement) - January 21, 2002

Prepared for long term storage at Melbourne (Tullamarine) Airport

It was involved in a hangar incident that effectively started the parting out process for the EFIS equipment

Parting out commenced at Melbourne (Tullamarine) - April 2007

The aircraft had flown 27,088:30 hours with 30,093 cycles

Broken-up at Melbourne (Tullamarine) - August 08, 2007

Cancelled from the New Zealand Aircraft Register - August 09, 2007

VH-EWK. East West - in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, April 1991.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0414-054.)

VH-EWK. East West - in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, April 1991.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 0414-153.)

VH-EWK. East West - in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, May 1991.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0414-152.)

ZK-NZL. Ansett New Zealand - 'City of Rotorua' in the 'Southern Cross' livery at Wellington Airport, January 1992.

(M. Richardson Copyright Image 0414-181.)

ZK-NZL. Ansett New Zealand - 'City of Rotorua' in the 'Southern Cross' livery at Auckland Airport, February 1993.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 0414-119.)

ZK-NZL. Ansett New Zealand - 'City of Rotorua' in the 'Starmark' livery at Wellington Airport, January 1996.

(M. Richardson Copyright Image 0414-182.)

ZK-NZL. Ansett New Zealand - 'City of Rotorua' in the 'Starmark' livery at Christchurch Airport, July 12, 1998.

(Z. Rae Copyright Image 0414-615.)

ZK-NZL. Qantas New Zealand - in the basic Ansett 'Starmark' livery at Christchurch Airport, July 01, 2000.

(Z. Rae Copyright Image 0414-456.)

ZK-NZL. Qantas New Zealand - in the all-white livery at Christchurch Airport, November 05, 2000.

(Z. Rae Copyright Image 0414-418.)

ZK-NZL. Qantas New Zealand - in the standard livery at Christchurch Airport, December 06, 2000.

(Z. Rae Copyright Image 0414-417.)

ZK-NZL. Qantas New Zealand - in the standard livery at Wellington Airport, January 2001.

(M. Richardson Copyright Image 0414-183.)

ZK-NZL. Qantas New Zealand - in the standard livery at Queenstown Airport, January 2001.

(P. Clark Copyright Image 0414-616.)

ZK-NZL. Qantas New Zealand - in the standard livery at Wellington Airport, March 2001.

(M. Richardson Copyright Image 0414-112.)

ZK-NZL. Air New Zealand - in the 'Pacific Wave' livery with additional 'Mount Cook Airline Ltd' titles at Christchurch Airport, August 08, 2001.

(Z. Rae Copyright Image 0414-419.)

ZK-NZL. Air New Zealand - in the 'Pacific Wave' livery with additional 'Mount Cook Airline Ltd' titles at Wellington Airport, November 2001.