Sunair Aviation (Tauranga) has announced via its Facebook profile that it is "operational" again and is planning to relaunch flights as soon as it is "up an running". According to Stuff magazine, the carrier could launch its first scheduled services on April 21, although it would take it significantly longer to restore its full schedule.
"We want to thank everyone for their patience over the past 203 days, who's been counting!! We look forward to taking bookings in the very near future, we need a little time to organise pilots and schedules!," the air taxi and charter specialist said.
The first flights to be operated as of April 21 will include those out of Whangarei to each of Kaitaia, Hamilton, NZ, and Tauranga. In the second phase, after adding more pilots, the carrier also plans to connect Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua, and Gisborne.
Sunair Aviation has been inactive since September 8, 2017, when the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (CAANZ) suspended its Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) for the second time in almost twelve months. Although the CAANZ did not outline the reasons for the move, during the previous suspension in December 2016, it said it had "serious concerns" about the airline's safety oversight. At that time, the airline resumed operations after a ten-day hiatus.
Sunair has openly criticized the CAANZ for the time it has taken to check the carrier's documentation. The airline has also repeatedly claimed that its AOC should never have been suspended in the first place. The lengthy suspension has reportedly cost Sunair "millions" of dollars in lost revenue.
Prior to the grounding last year, Sunair operated sightseeing charters and scheduled air-taxi operations across New Zealand's North Island, using a fleet of Cessna (single piston) 172s and Piper (twin piston) PA-23 Aztecs.
