AIR NORTH INTERNATIONAL (PTY.), LTD.: Australia (19781994). Employing Hughes 500Ds and Bell 206B JetRangers, Leach Aero Services (Pty.), Ltd., named after founder Roger Leach, is established at Darwin in 1971. The Leach concern, renamed Central Australian Helicopters (Pty), Ltd., introduces the first helicopters in the region used for cattle mustering.
Air North International (Pty.), Ltd. is set up at Darwin in 1978 as a subsidiary of the Henry Walker Group of Companies to provide fixed-wing charter and scheduled services throughout Australia’s “Top End” and into Indonesia. Employing 2 Douglas DC-3s and a variety of singleengine lightplanes, regularly scheduled commuter services are inaugurated by Managing Director John Hardy on July 4 to destinations in the Tiwi Islands area and Arnhem Island.
During the early 1980s, scheduled service is also launched from Darwin to Bathurst Island, Elcho Island, Garden Point, Lake Evella, Ramingining, and Snake Bay. Alice Springs, Katherine, Yulara and other points are served as ANI establishes itself as a scheduled regional operator.
A Skyport subsidiary is established by Roger Leach in 1985 to operate fixed-wing operations and the group’s expanding tourist activities. Ayers Rock Air Services (Pty.), Ltd. is taken over and a fleet is available comprising 1 Beech Super King Air 200, 2 Cessna 404s, 2 Cessna 402s, and 1 Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander.
In 1986-1987, the Skyport group initiates scenic safaris to Ayers Rock via Palm Valley, Kings Canyon, and Lake Amadeus. Under an agreement signed with the Mutujulu Council, a Bell 206B JetRanger is based at Ayers Rock to start the Central Australian and Barley Tableland Outback mail runs.
The bush operator Chartair is acquired in 1988-1989, allowing Sky-port to start flying into Alice Springs and Yulara. The company is now the largest general aviation operator in Central Australia as the fleet is increased through the addition of 2 Cessna 310s, 4 C-402s, and 1 C-421.
The other Darwin operator is renamed Air North Regional (Pty.), Ltd. in 1990 and a DC-3 is replaced with an Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirante.
In 1991-1992, the Skyport subsidiary is awarded the sole operating rights to the Centre Run by the Northwest Territories state government. A Shorts 330-100 is purchased to fly Timor Sea freight and personnel transfers. Schedules are boosted with the introduction of Australian domestic deregulation.
The Darwin based operations of Air North Regional (Pty.), Ltd. are taken over late in 1993 and the new board of directors reforms the company into an integrated Northwest Territories-wide operation. The combined fleet is changed as 5 C-402s are withdrawn and replaced with 7 C-210s, 2 C-221s, and 1 C-182. Additional scheduled services are introduced with a pair of de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300s leased from Air Kangaroo Island (Pty.), Ltd.
A dedicated maintenance facility is opened at Darwin in 1994 at which point Air North Regional is renamed Airnorth (Pty.), Ltd.
World History
