New Zealand: Fokker 50 replacing Convair turboprops...

[Stratofreighter]

http://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/ ... ew-zealand

Alliance Airlines (QQ, Brisbane Int'l) has signed a three year contract with Tauck Tours to operate a Fokker 50, VH-FKO (cn 20160),
on flights connecting Wellington, Blenheim, Te Anau, Queenstown, Rotorua, and Auckland Int'l.

Tauck Tours is a US tour operator that specializes in group tours.

The turboprop, which was recently spotted in Wellington,
replaces CV-440s and CV-580s that were in the past sourced from local operator, Air Chathams (CV, Chatham Island).

[Erik_7Xi]

Just to avoid any confusion - Air Chathams will still fly their three Convair 580s (ZK-CIB, ZK-CIE and ZK-CIF) between the Chatham Islands and New Zealand (AKL, WLG, CHC) on their regular schedule.

Air Chathams should be, as far as I know, the last airline in the world to operate the Convair 580 on regular passenger routes.
They also have a DC-3 (ZK-AWP) that they previously used for their Tonga Service until the Tongan government cancelled the contract after establishing their own 'national carrier' with Chinese support (and aircraft). The Dakota is still owned by Air Chathams and is either parked up with Field Air at Auckland IAP and occasionally flies charters/scenic flights.