Sunair Aviation (Tauranga) has announced plans to resume scheduled flight operations on May 28, 2018, following the reinstatement of its Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) by the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (CAANZ).
According to a schedule posted by the carrier, Sunair plans to focus on serving the northern part of the country. It intends to operate out of Great Barrier Island to each of Hamilton, NZ (5x weekly), Tauranga, Whangarei, and Whitianga (7x weekly each), as well as out of Hamilton to each of Tauranga and Whangarei.
Sunair also plans to offer on-demand services out of Tauranga to Motiti Island, as well as other charter and sightseeing services. Currently, it only operates air ambulance flights between Whangarei and Kaitaia.
According to the CAANZ register, Sunair Aviation currently operates ten Piper (twin piston) PA-23s, and two Cessna (single piston) 172s.
Sunair Aviation has been inactive since September 8, 2017, when the CAANZ suspended its AOC for the second time in almost twelve months. The regulator did not specify the exact reasons for the suspension.
Sunair has openly criticized the CAANZ for the time it has taken to check the carrier's documentation stating that the lengthy suspension has cost it "millions" of dollars in lost revenue. It has also repeatedly claimed that its AOC should never have been suspended in the first place.
