VH-KDB. SAAB 340A. c/n 008.

Was also registered as: G-BSFI; SE-ISC; G-HOPP; PH-KJK; ZK-CIW.

 

 

This aircraft was built by Saab Aircraft AB, Linkoping, Sweden - 1984

Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-BSFI (CofR G-BSFI/R1) - June 22, 1984

Registered to SAAB Aircraft Ltd and Fairchild Industries Inc, Windsor, U. K.

First flown with test registration SE-E08 - August 04, 1984

Leased to Birminham Executive Airways PLC (CofR G-BSFI/R2) - December 18, 1984

Withdrawn from service and returned to lessor at the end of the lease - December 13, 1985

Registered to Saab Fairchild Leasing Ltd, Windsor, U. K. - January 22, 1986

Cancelled from the British Aircraft Register - February 07, 1986

Entered onto the Swedish Aircraft Register as SE-ISC - February 07, 1986

Registered to Saab Fairchild Leasing Ltd, Windsor, U. K.

Leased to Swedair AB, Stockholm , Sweden as the registered operator - August 19, 1986

Withdrawn from service and returned to lessor at the end of the lease - October 1986

Cancelled from the Swedish Aircraft Register - November 1986

Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-HOPP (CofR G-HOPP/R1) - November 28, 1986

Registered to Saab Fairchild Leasing Ltd, Windsor, U. K.

Leased to Manx Airlines Ltd, Isle of Man as the registered operator - November 29, 1986

Withdrawn from service and returned to lessor at the end of the lease - October 26, 1988

Cancelled from the British Aircraft Register - October 28, 1988

Entered onto the Swedish Aircraft Register as SE-ISC - October 28, 1988

Sold to VAG Sverige AB, Sweden - November 01, 1988

Leased to Brittany Air International as the registered operator - November 03, 1988

Returned to VAG Sverige AB at the end of the lease - December 1988

Cancelled from the Swedish Aircraft Register - February 1989

Entered onto the Dutch Aircraft Register as PH-KJK - February 17, 1989

Leased to Netherlines BV, Amsterdam as the egistered operator

Netherlines merged with NLM Citihopper to form KLM Citihopper - August 01, 1990

Withdrawn from service - September 1991

Sold to Kendell Airlines (Australia) Pty Ltd, Wagga Wagga, Australia - November 26, 1991

Kendell Airlines had been purchased by TNT / News Ltd, the parent company of Ansett Airlines - June 1990

Cancelled from the Dutch Aircraft Register - November 26, 1991

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-KDB - November 26, 1991

Registered to Kendell Airlines (Australia) Pty Ltd, Wagga Wagga, Australia

Departed Amsterdam (Schiphol) on the ferry flight to Australia - November 27, 1991

Arrived Wagga Wagga on completion of the ferry flight - December 03, 1991

Operated its irst revenue service in Netherlines livery - December 1991

Ansett suspended all operations due to bankruptcy - September 13, 2001

Operated its final revenue service Melbourne (Tullamarine) - Albury as AN6276 - September 13, 2001

Ferried Albury - Wagga Wagga for storage - September 13, 2001

Returned to service under administration Wagga Wagga - Albury as AN8540 - October 8, 2001

Kendell Airlines was sold to Australiawide Airlines operating as Regional Express Airlines (REX) - August 01, 2002

Operated its first Regional Express revenue service - August 05, 2002

Registered to Australiawide Airlines Ltd t/a Regional Express Airlines - September 19, 2002

The aircraft was sold to Australiawide Airlines by the Ansett Administrators - August 01, 2004

Registered to Regional Express Holdings Pty Ltd, Wagga Wagga - March 09, 2007

Operated its final passenger revenue service Melbourne (Tullamarine) - Wagga Wagga as ZL3258 - September 19, 2008

Withdrawn from use and stored pending conversion to freighter configuration

Freighter conversion was commenced at Wagga Wagga - October 31, 2008

Returned to service with the Regional Express subsidiary company Pel-Air

Operated its first freighter revenue service Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Adelaide (West Beach) - January 07, 2009

Registered to Pel-Air Aviation Pty Ltd, Mascot, NSW, Australia - June 28, 2012

Operated its final freighter service Mackay - Brisbane as PFY412 - April 12, 2023

It was withdrawn from service and stored at Brisbane

Ferried Brisbane - Wagga Wagga as ZL9979 - May 11, 2023

Test flown Wagga Wagga - Wagga Wagga as ZL9958 - June 06, 2023

Sold to Air Chathams, New Zealand - June ?, 2023

Departed Wagga Wagga on the ferry flight to New Zealand - June 16, 2023

It arrived at Auckland on completion of the ferry f light - June ?, 2023

Ferry route: Wagga Wagga - Sydney - Lord Howe Island - Auckland

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - June 20, 2023

Entered onto the New Zealand Aircraft Register as ZK-CIW - June 23, 2023

Registered to Air Chathams, Waitangi, Chatham Islands

Current with Air Chathams

 

 

VH-KDB. Pel-Air - in the 'Regional Express' livery at Brisbane Airport, March 2011.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1045-251.)

VH-KDB. Pel-Air - in the 'Regional Express' livery at Brisbane Airport, September 2016.

(C. Laugier Copyright Image 1045-252.)

VH-KDB. Pel-Air - in the 'Regional Express' livery at Adelaide West Beach Airport, November 15, 2019.

(T. Haynes Copyright Image 1045-253.)