As well covered across at 3rd Level NZ, ex Mt Cook Airline ATR72-500 ZK-MCO has been delivered to and subsequently entered service with Air Chathams providing a platform for the airline to conduct Tauck Tours charter flights domestically.
Mentioned in a post last month, Australian based airline Alliance has, for the last few years, been contracted to fly the Tauck Tours charters and have used Fokker 50 VH-FKO each year. However nearing the conclusion of their contract Alliance ferried the Fokker 50 back to Australia and have since conducted flight operations with Fokker 70 VH-NKU (very briefly) and then Fokker 70 VH-QQX. The Fokker operated what I thought was to be its flight on 07 February 2019 when VH-QQX flew from Queenstown to Auckland, however it then flew an Auckland-Queenstown flight 09 February. It then flew from Queenstown to Auckland and onward to Brisbane 10 February.
On 07 February 2019 Air Chathams ATR72-500 ZK-MCO flew a series of what appears to be proving flights with it heading around the tour circuit - Auckland-Wellington-Woodbourne-Te Anau-Queenstown-Auckland. Then on the 8th it flew from Auckland to Wellington and Woodbourne. On the 10th it flew Woodbourne to Te Anau and Wellington.
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| ZK-MCO arriving Auckland from Nelson 24 January 2019 |
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| ZK-MCO at Auckland 02 February 2019 |
