Norfolk Jet Express
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| Founded | May 1997 | ||||||
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| Ceased operations | 2005 | ||||||
| Fleet size | As at liquidation; 1 Fokker 100 aircraft | ||||||
| Destinations | Destinations included: Norfolk Island Auckland | ||||||
| Headquarters | Norfolk Island, Australia | ||||||
| Key people | Gregg Prechelt Chief Executive Officer & Owner David Bobberman Chief Operating Officer | ||||||
Norfolk Jet Express Pty Ltd was an airline based on Norfolk Island offering scheduled, international, domestic, passenger and cargo services. It ceased operations in June 2005 due to financial difficulties.
History
Norfolk Jet Express was established in May 1997 by Norfolk Island resident and businessman Gregg Prechelt, who was both the Chief Executive and Chairman of the airline. Operations commenced in that same month with a BAe 146-100 leased from National Jet Systems. A codeshare agreement with Qantas was later signed in 1999. Eventually services to Australia were operated with a Boeing 737-400 configured with 128 economy seats and 12 business class seats (wet leased from Air Nauru on behalf of Norfolk Air Express). In August 2004 a service to Auckland was inaugurated using a Fokker 100, leased from Alliance Airlines, configured with 89 economy seats and 8 business class seats. The flights to Auckland soon ceased because of increasing costs on that route.
Norfolk Jet Express went into voluntary liquidation 4 June 2005. All flights for 4, 5 and 7 June to and from Brisbane and Sydney however went ahead as scheduled while an alternative solution to service provision was found. After urgent discussions, Norfolk Island Government's Official Secretary, Peter Maywald, announced on 7 June that Qantas and Air Nauru would jointly provide replacement services for at least 12 months. For the first week after liquidation, Alliance Airlines aircraft were used for services, following which it was planned that Qantas would operate the flights from 11 June using Air Nauru Boeing 737 aircraft chartered by the Norfolk Island Government (ref: Air International, July 2005).
Services
Norfolk Jet Express provided services from Norfolk Island to Brisbane and Sydney using the Air Nauru Boeing 737-400 and Alliance Airlines Fokker 100 aircraft and to Auckland at one stage.
Fleet
The aircraft fleet firstly consisted of just one single Bae 146-100 then progressed to a Fokker 100 (wet leased from Alliance Airlines) and a Boeing 737-400 (leased from Air Nauru)