# Flight West > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Flight_West > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Flight_West.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_West > Source revision: 1356859500 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Regional airline of Australia}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}} {{Use Australian English|date=April 2012}} {{Infobox airline |airline = Flight West |logo = Flight West Airlines logo.png |IATA = YC |ICAO = FWQ |callsign = UNITY |founded = {{start date|1987|05||df=yes}} |ceased = {{end date|2001|12||df=yes}} |hubs = [Brisbane](/source/Brisbane_Airport)
[Cairns](/source/Cairns_Airport)
[Townsville](/source/Townsville_Airport) |headquarters = [Brisbane](/source/Brisbane), [Queensland](/source/Queensland), Australia |key_people = [Dennis Buchanan](/source/Dennis_Buchanan) (founder) |website = [https://web.archive.org/web/20000818004137/http://www.flightwest.com.au:80/ www.flightwest.com.au]}} '''Flight West''' was an Australian [regional airline](/source/regional_airline) headquartered in [Brisbane](/source/Brisbane), [Queensland](/source/Queensland). Established in May 1987, it operated predominantly in Queensland. It entered [voluntary administration](/source/voluntary_administration) in June 2001 before being sold to Queensland Aviation Holdings, the parent company of [Alliance Airlines](/source/Alliance_Airlines) in April 2002. ==History== [[File:Flight West EMB-120.jpg|thumb|[Embraer EMB 120](/source/Embraer_EMB_120_Brasilia) at [Brisbane Airport](/source/Brisbane_Airport) in December 1999]] [[File:Flight West Fokker 28 CNS King.jpg|thumb|[Fokker F28](/source/Fokker_F28) at [Cairns Airport](/source/Cairns_Airport) in July 2000]] [[File:70cp - Flight West Airlines Fokker 100; VH-FWI@SYD;04.09.1999 (6116239036).jpg|thumb|[Fokker 100](/source/Fokker_100) at [Sydney Airport](/source/Sydney_Airport) in September 1999]] Flight West was established by [Dennis Buchanan](/source/Dennis_Buchanan) in 1987 to operate subsidised passenger services to remote communities on [Government of Queensland](/source/Government_of_Queensland) contracts.Major Airline Directory ''[Australian Aviation](/source/Australian_Aviation)'' issue 150 May 199 page 53 Initially the airline used [Beechcraft Super King Air](/source/Beechcraft_Super_King_Air) aircraft on these services from a base at [Brisbane Airport](/source/Brisbane_Airport) and then quickly expanded, adding [DHC-6 Twin Otters](/source/de_Havilland_Canada_DHC-6_Twin_Otter) an [EMB 110](/source/Embraer_EMB_110_Bandeirante), [Jetstream 32s](/source/Handley_Page_Jetstream) and then ex [Ansett](/source/Ansett_Australia) [Fokker F28](/source/Fokker_F28)s to initially operate the Brisbane to [Norfolk Island](/source/Norfolk_Island_Airport) service later purchasing two [Fokker 100](/source/Fokker_100)s.[https://web.archive.org/web/20010603114339/http://www.flightwest.com.au/about.html About Flight West Airlines] Flight West A second base was established at [Cairns Airport](/source/Cairns_Airport). It was soon operating the most extensive network of routes throughout regional Queensland. From bases in Brisbane, Cairns and [Townsville](/source/Townsville_Airport) it served major cities and small regional communities throughout the state including communities on [Cape York Peninsula](/source/Cape_York_Peninsula) and in the [Torres Strait](/source/Torres_Strait), major coastal cities and islands, and cities and towns in western Queensland. The airline was affiliated with (but independent of) [Ansett](/source/Ansett_Australia) which ceased operations on 14 September 2001. Before entering liquidation in June 2001, Flight West serviced 34 destinations and employed over 420 staff. ===Collapse=== On 16 June 2001, the airline was placed into [voluntary administration](/source/voluntary_administration) with [PwC](/source/PwC) appointed to manage the company.Flight West Falls ''Australian Aviation'' issue 175 August 2001 pages 39/40 [Ansett](/source/Ansett_Australia) announced on 27 June that it would lease eight of the company's aircraft and restart 16 routes effective immediately.{{cite news | title=Ansett to fly west | work=[The Daily Telegraph](/source/Daily_Telegraph_(Sydney))|date=27 June 2001}}Flight West Airlines ''Australian Aviation'' issue 176 September 2001 page 67 On 13 September 2001, Ansett itself collapsed, again halting Flight West services.Flight West looks for a buyer ''Australian Aviation'' issue 178 November 2001 page 22 After extensive restructuring, the airline was offered for sale on 29 September 2001.{{cite news | title=Airline for sale |work=[The Dominion Post](/source/The_Post_(New_Zealand_newspaper))|date=29 September 2001}} In an effort to revitalise the airline, the [Federal Government](/source/Government_of_Australia) announced on 6 November that it would underwrite the airline's operating costs for three months. The airline began flights between Brisbane and [Gladstone](/source/Gladstone_Airport) on 17 November 2001.{{cite news|title=Bail-out for state airline|work=[The Courier-Mail](/source/The_Courier-Mail)|date=6 November 2001}}Flight West to Gladstone ''Australian Aviation'' issue 179 December 2001 page 20 After the airline failed to sell, it was placed into voluntary administration on 4 December 2001.{{cite news|title=Flight West Lands in Voluntary Administration|work=[The Australian](/source/The_Australian)|date=4 December 2001}} In April 2002, Queensland Aviation Holdings purchased Flight West and intended to restructure the company under a new name, [Alliance Airlines](/source/Alliance_Airlines).Flight West Sold ''Australian Aviation'' issue 183 May 2002 page 5 Two [Embraer EMB 120s](/source/Embraer_EMB_120_Brasilia) and two [Fokker 100](/source/Fokker_100)s were included in the sale.Alliance Airlines takes off ''Australian Aviation'' issue 187 September 2002 page 15 ==Fleet== In the mid 1990s, the fleet was composed of Beechcraft King Airs, DHC-6 Twin Otters, [de Havilland Canada Dash 8s](/source/Bombardier_Dash_8), [Embraer EMB 110s](/source/Embraer_EMB_110_Bandeirante) and [EMB 120s](/source/Embraer_EMB_120_Brasilia). By the late 1990s the airline had disposed of the Twin Otters and EMB 110s. It acquired [Jetstream J32s](/source/Handley_Page_Jetstream) and jet [aircraft](/source/aircraft) in the form of three ex-Ansett [Fokker F28](/source/Fokker_F28)s followed shortly after by two newer [Fokker 100](/source/Fokker_100)s. At the suspension of services, Flight West operated a fleet of 16 [jet](/source/Jet_engine) and [turboprop](/source/turboprop) aircraft:[https://web.archive.org/web/20010603115756/http://www.flightwest.com.au/fleet.html Flight West Fleet of Aircraft] Flight West {| class="wikitable" |- ! Aircraft !! In fleet!! Notes |- | [Jetstream 32ER](/source/Handley_Page_Jetstream) || 4 || |- | [Embraer 120ER Brasilia](/source/Embraer_EMB_120_Brasilia) || 7 || |- | [Fokker F28-4000](/source/Fokker_F28-4000) || 3 || |- | [Fokker 100](/source/Fokker_100) || 2 || |} ==Destinations== Flight West operated 34 routes at the time its services were suspended. Over the airline's 14-year history, it operated to destinations in [Queensland](/source/Queensland), [New South Wales](/source/New_South_Wales), the [Northern Territory](/source/Northern_Territory) and [Norfolk Island](/source/Norfolk_Island) including:[https://web.archive.org/web/20010603122109/http://www.flightwest.com.au/route.html Flight West Routes] Flight West June 2001 {{Columns-list|colwidth=15em| *[Bamaga](/source/Bamaga_Airport) *[Barcaldine](/source/Barcaldine_Airport) *[Bedourie](/source/Bedourie_Airport) *[Birdsville](/source/Birdsville_Airport) *[Blackwater](/source/Blackwater_Airport) *[Boulia](/source/Boulia_Airport) *[Brisbane](/source/Brisbane_Airport) *[Bundaberg](/source/Bundaberg_Airport) *[Cairns](/source/Cairns_Airport) *[Charleville](/source/Charleville_Airport) *[Coen](/source/Coen_Airport) *[Cooktown](/source/Cooktown_Airport) *[Doomadgee](/source/Doomadgee_Airport) *[Edward River](/source/Pormpuraaw_Airport) *[Emerald](/source/Emerald_Airport) *[Gladstone](/source/Gladstone_Airport) *[Hervey Bay](/source/Hervey_Bay_Airport) *[Hughenden](/source/Hughenden_Airport) *[Julia Creek](/source/Julia_Creek_Airport) *Kurumba *[Kowanyama](/source/Kowanyama_Airport) *[Lockhart River](/source/Lockhart_River_Airport) *[Longreach](/source/Longreach_Airport) *[Mackay](/source/Mackay_Airport) *[Moree](/source/Moree_Airport) *[Mornington Island](/source/Mornington_Island_Airport) *[Mount Isa](/source/Mount_Isa_Airport) *[Normanton](/source/Normanton_Airport) *[Norfolk Island](/source/Norfolk_Island_Airport) *[Proserpine](/source/Whitsunday_Coast_Airport) *[Quilpie](/source/Quilpie_Airport) *[Richmond](/source/Richmond_Airport_(Queensland)), *[Rockhampton](/source/Rockhampton_Airport) *[Roma](/source/Roma_Airport) *[Sydney](/source/Sydney_Airport) *[Thursday Island](/source/Thursday_Island) *[Townsville](/source/Townsville_Airport) *[Weipa](/source/Weipa_Airport) *[Windorah](/source/Windorah_Airport) *[Winton](/source/Winton_Airport)}} ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== {{commons category|Flight West Airlines}} *[http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?airlinesearch=Flight+West Flight West Photos] *Norfolk Island, ''[Airways Magazine](/source/Airways_News)'' May 2000 pages 41–42 {{Airlines of Australia|state=collapsed}} Category:Airlines established in 1987 Category:Airlines disestablished in 2001 Category:Ansett Australia Category:Companies based in Brisbane Category:Defunct airlines of Australia Category:1987 establishments in Australia Category:2001 disestablishments in Australia --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Flight West](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_West) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_West?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.