Air Chathams

The airline was set up by Craig and Marion Emeny in 1984, and facilitates the transportation of both freight and people to and from mainland New Zealand.{{cite web|url=http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2016/01/air-chathams-30-years-on.html|title=Air Chathams - Growing beyond the Chathams|date=10 January 2016|access-date=2 July 2019}}

Craig Emeny first moved to the Chatham Islands as a pilot to operate services primarily between Chatham and Pitt Islands. At that time the lack of regularity in flights to mainland New Zealand saw him start his own airline and begin operations to mainland airports.{{cite news |title=Come fly with me, a look at New Zealand's smaller airlines: Air Chathams |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/123405384/come-fly-with-me-a-look-at-new-zealands-smaller-airlines-air-chathams?fbclid=IwAR2cKfKnGQ8ITeX82L4OO9sxyIyL31959vBTROwDUrihO8IOIf00leQLkIY |access-date=17 November 2020 |publisher=stuff.co.nz}} Air Chathams had the advantage of being based on the Chatham Islands and were able to avoid many of the weather related issues that other airlines had operating to the Chathams. As the freight and passenger market developed Air Chathams grew from operating small piston engine aircraft to large 50 seat two engine turbo-prop aircraft.{{cite web|title=About Us - Air Chathams|url=http://www.airchathams.co.nz/about-air-chathams/air-chathams/|website=Air Chathams|access-date=1 June 2016|archive-date=10 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610105721/http://www.airchathams.co.nz/about-air-chathams/air-chathams/|url-status=dead}}

In 2014 Air Chathams established a flight operations and maintenance base at Auckland International Airport. From this base the company provides maintenance services both internally and to third party airlines under contract. A fully owned subsidiary (Chathams Pacific) operated scheduled flights in Tonga until March 2013. The introduction of Chinese (PRC) aid financed aircraft and training facilities at the request of the Tongan government introduced competition to Chathams Pacific's routes.{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/world/how-chinas-gift-of-an-aeroplane-put-tonga-new-zealand-at-odds-20140625-zskxb.html|title=How China's gift of an aeroplane put Tonga, New Zealand at odds|work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=25 June 2014}} Air Chathams' management decided not to compete with the new airline, Real Tonga, and ceased all Tongan operations.{{Cite web |url=http://www.islandsbusiness.com/2013/2/business-intelligence/chathams-pacific-withdraws-real-tonga-takes-off/ |title=Chathams Pacific withdraws, Real Tonga takes off - Business Intelligence - February 2013 - Islands Business magazine |access-date=13 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413180636/http://www.islandsbusiness.com/2013/2/business-intelligence/chathams-pacific-withdraws-real-tonga-takes-off/ |archive-date=13 April 2015 |url-status=dead }} With the Air New Zealand regional route cut backs, Air Chathams began serving the Auckland to Whakatāne route on 29 April 2015,{{cite web|url=http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/flight-relief-for-whakatane/|title=Flight relief for Whakatane|author=Georgia Nelson|work=newstalkzb.co.nz}} Auckland to Whanganui on 31 July 2016{{cite web|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/80555743/air-nz-cancels-aucklandwhanganui-christchurchblenheim-regional-flights|title=Air Chathams steps in as Air NZ pulls out of Whanganui|date=30 May 2016|publisher=Stuff |access-date=30 May 2016}} and Auckland to Kāpiti Coast from 20 August 2018.{{cite news |title=Air Chathams will pick up Paraparaumu to Auckland flight route |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12081615 |access-date=2 July 2018 |agency=The New Zealand Herald }}

In mid 2018, the airline announced that it was looking to re-establish flights between Auckland and Norfolk Island.{{cite news |title=Air Chathams may fly to Norfolk direct from Auckland |url=https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/354827/air-chathams-may-fly-to-norfolk-direct-from-auckland |work=Radio New Zealand |agency=RNZ |date=12 April 2018}} Air Chathams in April 2019 announced they will be taking over a fourth Air NZ route by starting a weekly service from Auckland to Norfolk Island on 6 September 2019.{{cite news |title=Air Chathams to begin weekly service from Auckland to Norfolk Island |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12220339 |access-date=8 April 2019 |work=The New Zealand Herald }}

This is a list of destinations served by Air Chathams, excluding subsidiaries.{{Cite web|url=http://www.airchathams.co.nz/Airline-Info/routes/|title = Destinations for Air Chathams}}

This is a list of destinations formerly served by Chathams Pacific, a wholly owned subsidiary of Air Chathams that operated between 2007 and 2013.

File:Air_Chathams_Turbo_CommanderAir_Chathams20200709-20200709_17363.jpg

File:Air Chathams ATR72-500 ZK-MCO.jpg

File:Air_Chathams_Saab_340s.jpg

As of January 2025, the Air Chathams fleet includes the following aircraft:{{Cite web|url=http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2016/01/air-chathams-30-years-on.html|title = 3rd Level New Zealand: Air Chathams - Growing beyond the Chathams|date = 10 January 2016}}

The ATR, Saabs and Dc-3 are used across the company's operations as well as contract freight services and charter work. The Cessna 206 provides a non-regular service between Chatham Island and Pitt Island and is on standby for search and rescue or local flights around the Chatham Islands.{{cite web|url=http://www.airchathams.co.nz/our-aircraft.html|title=Our Aircraft|work=Air Chathams|access-date=5 December 2012|archive-date=7 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107134548/http://www.airchathams.co.nz/our-aircraft.html|url-status=dead}} The airline's Aero Commander 690 has been wet-leased out for aerial mapping and survey duties,{{Cite web|url=http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-news-on-convairs-and-aero-commander.html|title=3rd Level New Zealand: The News on the Convairs and Aero Commander...|last=L|first=Steve|date=2017-03-07|website=3rd Level New Zealand|access-date=2020-01-30}} while the DC-3 is often chartered out for scenic flights and tours in a retro NAC livery.{{Cite web|url=https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2019/11/nac-getting-airborne-again.html|title=3rd Level New Zealand: NAC getting airborne again|last=L|first=Steve|date=2019-11-26|website=3rd Level New Zealand|access-date=2020-01-30}}

In 2018 Air Chathams acquired an ATR 72-500 from Mount Cook Airline. The ATR 72-500 runs flights for Tauck Tours in summer seasons, while assisting with peak traffic to Whanganui in the winter.{{cite web |last1=L |first1=Steve |title=A picture speaks a 1000 words... |url=https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2019/01/a-picture-speaks-1000-words.html |website=3rd Level New Zealand |access-date=15 January 2019 |date=14 January 2019}}

Also the ATR72-500s are used for flights to Te Anau. On the 21st of November 2024 an ATR72-500 flew from Auckland to Invercargill and return for a private charter, the longest non-stop flight by an ATR carrying passengers in New Zealand.

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| image1 = Convair 580, Wellington, New Zealand, 21 May 2007.jpg

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| caption1 = Air Chathams Convair 580 at Wellington, 21 May 2007

| image2 = ZK-AWP Air Chathams Douglas DC-3C Auckland.jpg

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| caption2 = Air Chathams' NAC livered DC-3 parked up at their ramp at Auckland Airport.

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| caption3 = The Air Chathams CV-580 'Toroa Freighter' in Auckland.

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| caption4 = Air Chathams Fairchild Metroliner ZK-CID

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{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category inline|Air Chathams}}

• [http://www.airchathams.co.nz/ Air Chathams]

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Category:Airlines of New Zealand

Category:Airlines established in 1984

Category:Chatham Islands

Category:New Zealand companies established in 1984

Category:2010s disestablishments in Tonga

Category:2013 disestablishments in Oceania