Bahrain-based Texel Air is celebrating the arrival of its latest Boeing 737-800BCF (A9C-GWC), which has touched down in New Zealand, for its new Australiasian subsidiary. ‘Vera,’ the first 737-8BCF in New Zealand, was ferried by three crew, Theodoros David, Brett Gibson, and Sean Stedman, from Bahrain via Bangkok and Darwin last week before touching down in Hamilton (HLZ), and according to the airline’s Linkedin.
‘Vera’ marks the second aircraft for Texel Air NZ, which already has ‘Samantha’ taking to the skies, a 25-year-old 737-300. The cargo and ACMI carrier has scored a contract with Parceline Express and has been operating between Auckland and Christchurch multiple times a week.
Vera visits Hamilton
Vera’s arrival from her 15,000km journey from Bahrain into Hamilton is for the aircraft to undergo maintenance with Ham Aero before launching into scheduled services. It is assumed that once the 737-8BCF is completed maintenance, it will be ferried to Auckland International Airport (AKL), Texel Air’s NZ base.
Texel Air owners, management, and operations team were in Hamiton to greet the aircraft and crew, and once ‘Vera’ had arrived safely, a traditional Maori powhiri was performed. A pōwhiri is a traditional Māori welcoming ceremony that involves whaikōrero (formal speech), waiata (singing), and kai (food).
Hamilton Airport (HLZ)
Hamilton is located approximately one hour south of New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland. The airport currently operates a modest domestic service, with direct scheduled flights with Air New Zealand to both Christchurch and Wellington, alongside Originair, which maintains services to Palmerston North and Nelson and Sunair, with flights to Claris, Gisborne, and Whangarei.
Plenty of firsts for Texel Air NZ
With ‘Vera,’ being the first Boeing 737-8BCF on Kiwi soil, Texel Air also flew into Palmerston North Airport for the first time this week. ‘Samantha,’ the 737-300, operated a rotation into the lower North Island logistics hub.
As reported by Simple Flying in April, Texel Air NZ’s sole workhorse, Samantha, has been quietly operating multiple weekly services between Auckland and Christchurch, providing cargo services on behalf of Parceline Express, a Freightways and New Zealand Post subsidiary. Vera’s welcome to New Zealand will also be introduced on the same route soon.
According to Texel Air NZ’s Linkedin, the brand-new cargo airline will eventually be operating its 737-800BCF aircraft trans-Tasman between Australia and New Zealand, providing charter and ACMI operations for its clients utilizing a ‘world-class fleet of newly converted aircraft.’
‘Vera’ (A9C-GWC)
According to Airfleets, the aircraft, ‘Vera,’ is a 22-year-old 737 that first took flight in May 2021 as a freighter, having been initially delivered new to Korean Air in 2001, with registration HL7566. The aircraft was returned to the lessor in May 2021 before it appears to have changed hands again, now leased to Chisholm Enterprises Texel Air from the Boeing Capital Corporation (BCC).
Sources: NewZealand.com, Airfleets