Ltd. on October 31, 1986, this commuter is quickly established under the leadership of local accountant Lloyd Thompson as its Mildura Airport-based successor. Ownership is divided between Mildura businessmen and Australian Airlines (Pty.), Ltd. (66%) and Bevan Whitaker, owner of Sunstate Airlines (Pty.), Ltd. (33%).
Employing 1 Shorts 360 and 1 Cessna 404 Titan obtained from Murray Valley’s assets, Managing Director Tony Matthews and Chief Pilot Damian Cresp launch scheduled services over the predecessor’s routes on November 9. With the entire Murray Valley staff retained, travelers notice little change. Enplanements total 34,000.
Operations continue apace through the remainder of the decade and into the next and in 1991 the carrier becomes an Australian Airlines (Pty.), Ltd. affiliate and at year’s end is renamed Southern Australia Airlines (Pty.), Ltd.
SUNWAYS AIRLINES, A. B.: Sweden (1994-1997). Sunways Airlines is set up at Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport on October 30, 1994, to provide domestic and regional charters, both passenger and cargo. Shareholding is divided between Izzet Edige, Haluk Semiz, and Ilmari Haapajoki. Richard W. Hjelt is appointed chairman, with Engin Gulmez as managing director. A workforce of 330 is recruited over the next 6 months. Three Boeing 757-236s and a B-757-23A are leased and are employed to inaugurate revenue flights on May 22, 1995. Two of the B-757-236s are soon leased to Sunways Intersun Havacilik, A. O. and replaced with McDonnell Douglas MD-83s.
Services continue during the remainder of the year and in 1996-1997. During these years, destinations visited include Agadir, Bergen, Billund, Cardiff, Copenhagen, Dubai, Fuertenventura, Goa, Goteborg, Gran Canaria, Helsinki, Hurghada, Jonkoping, Kalmar, Kristiansand, Kuopio, London (LGW and CTN), Lulea, Manchester, Mombasa, Newcastle, Orebro, Ostersund, Oulu, Phuket, Stavanger, Tampere, Trondheim, Ul-mea, and Vasteras.
One of the company’s B-757-236s is grounded in Denmark during the summer, where it is repossessed by its lessor. The company goes bankrupt and shuts its doors in September.
World History
