# Freedom Air

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This article is about the former airline of New Zealand. For the Guam-based airline, see [Freedom Air (Guam)](/source/Freedom_Air_(Guam)).

**Freedom Air** was a New Zealand [low-cost airline](/source/Low-cost_airline) which operated from December 1995 until March 2008. It operated scheduled passenger services from New Zealand to Australia and Fiji, and charter services within New Zealand. It was a subsidiary of [Air New Zealand](/source/Air_New_Zealand).

## History

Freedom Air was established in 1995 as a response to the commencement of discount services between New Zealand and Australia by [Kiwi Travel International Airlines](/source/Kiwi_Travel_International_Airlines) and started operations on 8 December 1995 with a single [Boeing 757-200](/source/Boeing_757-200).[1][2] It was formed as **South Pacific Air Charters** by [Mount Cook Airline](/source/Mount_Cook_Airline) and renamed **Freedom Air International** in 1998.

In May 2001, Freedom Air begain operating domestic services between [Auckland](/source/Auckland_Airport), [Wellington](/source/Wellington_Airport) and [Christchurch](/source/Christchurch_Airport).[3] By 2004, its fleet had expanded to five [Boeing 737-300s](/source/Boeing_737-300)[4], and it was providing direct non-stop services to the Australian cities of [Brisbane](/source/Brisbane_Airport), [Gold Coast](/source/Gold_Coast_Airport), [Newcastle](/source/Newcastle_Airport,_New_South_Wales), [Sydney](/source/Sydney_Airport) and [Melbourne](/source/Melbourne_Airport) from [Hamilton](/source/Hamilton_Airport_(New_Zealand)), Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, [Dunedin](/source/Dunedin_Airport) and [Palmerston North](/source/Palmerston_North_Airport).[5] Flights to Fiji were also operated.

In June 2006, the aircraft from Freedom Air were combined with Air New Zealand's fleet of [Airbus A320-200s](/source/Airbus_A320-200) under the [air operator's certificate](/source/Air_operator's_certificate) of Zeal320.[6] When the airline ceased Zeal320 had one aircraft painted in Freedom Air livery.[7]

Air New Zealand ceased all Freedom Air operations from the end of March 2008.[2][8]

## Destinations

Throughout its existence, Freedom Air flew to six destinations in New Zealand, five in Australia and one in Fiji.[9] When the airline shut down on 30 March 2008, all services were replaced by [Air New Zealand](/source/Air_New_Zealand) flights, except flights out of [Palmerston North](/source/Palmerston_North_Airport), which left the airport without any international services. Flights to [Nadi](/source/Nadi) and Newcastle were withdrawn prior to 2008.

- - [Brisbane](/source/Brisbane) – [Brisbane Airport](/source/Brisbane_Airport) - [Gold Coast](/source/Gold_Coast,_Queensland) – [Gold Coast Airport](/source/Gold_Coast_Airport) - [Melbourne](/source/Melbourne) – [Melbourne Airport](/source/Melbourne_Airport) - [Newcastle](/source/Newcastle,_New_South_Wales) – [Newcastle Airport](/source/Newcastle_Airport,_New_South_Wales)[10] - [Sydney](/source/Sydney) – [Sydney Airport](/source/Sydney_Airport)

- - [Nadi](/source/Nadi) – [Nadi International Airport](/source/Nadi_International_Airport)[11]

- - [Auckland](/source/Auckland) – [Auckland Airport](/source/Auckland_Airport) (Hub) - [Christchurch](/source/Christchurch) – [Christchurch Airport](/source/Christchurch_Airport) - [Dunedin](/source/Dunedin) – [Dunedin Airport](/source/Dunedin_Airport) - [Hamilton](/source/Hamilton,_New_Zealand) – [Hamilton Airport](/source/Hamilton_Airport_(New_Zealand)) - [Palmerston North](/source/Palmerston_North) – [Palmerston North Airport](/source/Palmerston_North_Airport) - [Wellington](/source/Wellington) – [Wellington Airport](/source/Wellington_Airport)

## Fleet

Freedom Air had operated the following aircraft:[citation needed]

Freedom Air fleet Aircraft Total Introduced Retired Notes Airbus A320-200 13 2005[12] 2008 3 leased from Air New Zealand Boeing 737-200 2 2001 2001 1 leased from Airwork Boeing 737-300 9 1996 2006 3 leased from Air New Zealand 2 leased from TACA Airlines 1 leased from Polynesian Airlines 1 leased from Transavia Boeing 757-200 1 1995 1996 Leased from Britannia Airways

## References

1. The Freedom Formula *[Australian Aviation](/source/Australian_Aviation)* issue 204 April 2004 pages 47/48

1. [Air NZ's competitors on domestic market](https://web.archive.org/web/20131226214138/http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/425823/1319689) *[Television New Zealand](/source/Television_New_Zealand)* 23 August 2007

1. Tasman Pacific into receivership - Qantas & Freedom launch NZ domestic services *Australian Aviation* issue 173 June 2001 page 81

1. [Freedom Air’s fifth aircraft takes to the skies Freedom Air](https://web.archive.org/web/20061024171811/http://www.freedomair.com/en/display.aspx?id=129&type=2) 10 December 2004

1. "Directory: World Airlines". *[Flight International](/source/Flight_International)*. 2007-04-03. p. 84.

1. ["New Zealand Aircraft Register"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160306022954/https://www.caa.govt.nz/Script/Air_Mod_List.asp?Model_ID=1400). Archived from [the original](http://www.caa.govt.nz/Script/Air_Mod_List.asp?Model_ID=1400) on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2007.

1. [Details on AviationPage New Zealand](http://www.aviationpage.co.nz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=30) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20070314084737/http://www.aviationpage.co.nz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=30) 14 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine

1. ["Air NZ to ground Freedom Air"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080621103926/http://www.stuff.co.nz/4192461a10.html). *[Stuff](/source/Stuff_(website))*. 6 September 2007. Archived from [the original](http://www.stuff.co.nz/4192461a10.html) on 21 June 2008. Retrieved 30 September 2011.

1. ["Freedom Air - Route Guide"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070626183407/http://www.freedomair.com/en/fulldisplay.aspx?id=Route%20Guide&type=1). Archived from [the original](http://www.freedomair.com/en/fulldisplay.aspx?id=Route%20Guide&type=1) on 26 June 2007. Retrieved 23 October 2007.

1. [Freedom Air flies into Newcastle](http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200112/s441363.htm) *[ABC News](/source/ABC_News_(Australia))* 15 December 2001

1. [Freedom Air Press Release – Freedom Air Wellington – Fiji Service Takes Flight](http://www.freedomair.com/en/display.aspx?id=129&type=2) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20061024171811/http://www.freedomair.com/en/display.aspx?id=129&type=2) 24 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine, 11 February 2005

1. [Freedom Air annouces it will introduce, really big seats](https://web.archive.org/web/20051217152356mp_/http://www.freedomair.com/en/about-us/news/big-seats.jsp) Freedom Air 12 August 2005

## External links

- [Official website](https://web.archive.org/*/http://www.freedomair.com)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Freedom Air](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Air) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Air?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.