1990s AIRLINERS A selection of my photographs of Australian airliners during the 1990s |
The
decade opened with Australian domestic airlines recovering from the
1989 Ansett pilots' industrial action and subsequent dismissal. Airliners were wet-leased from all operators all over the word to fill the void. Britannia Airways Boeing 737 G-BNRT at Cairns in January 1990 while on lease to Australian Airlines |
French operator Aeromaritime Boeing 737 F-GFUA at Cairns in January 1990, while leased by Australian Airlines
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America West Airlines Boeing 737 N166AW at Cairns January 1990 operating Ansett services
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Paramount Airlines Boeing 737 G-PATE departs Caims in February 1990 operating an Ansett service
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Newcomer on the Australian domestic airline scene was short-lived Compass Airlines, launched in 1990 with Airbus A300s.
Here's VH-YMJ at Melbourne Airport in April 1991. Due massive losses Compass ceased operations in December that year. |
Ansett Australia had twenty Airbus A320-200s. VH-HYJ seen at Melbourne in April 1991 had been delivered only two months earlier. |
The Government owned domestic airline Australian Airlines, formerly Trans-Australia Airlines, was merged into Qantas in 1992. Boeing 737-300 VH-TAG at Alice Springs in August 1990 shows the final attractive Australian Airlines paint scheme. |
Australian
Airlines operated Twin Otters from Cairns on Australian Regional
services to Far North Queensland locations, including the
holiday resorts at Dunk Island and Lizard Island. VH-TGH seen at Townsville in March 1990 |
East-West Airlines commenced in 1947 as a NSW regional airline. The business had endured a series of corporate takeovers culminating
in it being absorbed into Ansett in 1993. Here's BAe146 VH-EWM at Cairns September 1991 on a sheduled service from Sydney. |
Changes in the West as well, where Ansett WA was merged into Ansett Australia. F.28 VH-FKC seen at Perth in April 1991
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Ansett operated this Boeing 707 freighter VH-HTC in the markings of associated company TNT Freight. Seen at Perth April 1991
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IPEC Aviation DC-9 freighter VH-IPC at Melbourne-Essendon in April 1991. IPEC had replaced its Argosy freighters with DC-9s for their nightly cargo services to Tasmania, VH-IPC was newest, delivered from USA February 1990. |
French airline Air Caledonie International Boeing 737 F-ODGX at Melbourne April 1991 on a regular service to New Caledonia
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Lockheed L1011 Tristars of US charter operator American Trans Air made a series of stopovers at Cairns during 1991 on "My Private Jet" around-the-world luxury tours. N189AT at Cairns August 1991. |
NASA Douglas DC-8-62 N717NA at Cairns while operating from Townsville in 1998 with sensor fittings under the rear fuselage |
The last BAC-111 seen in this part of the world, Pelita Air Services' PK-PJF based at Cairns on long-term contract to Freeport Mining carrying company staff to their mining operations near Timika, West Irian now renamed West Papua. Cairns February 1990. |
Airfast Indonesia took over the Freeport Mining FIFO contract in 1990 with Boeing 737s. PK-OCG departs Cairns for Timika in July 1990.
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The mighty Ukranian Antonov An-124 Ruslans were relatively frequent sights in Australia during the 1990s carrying outsized cargo.
British operator Air Foyle was leasing CCCP-82008 when it visited Cairns in February 1993. |