Latest news with #CessnaGrandCaravan
Economic Times
24-05-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Barrier Air's bold bid to beat Air New Zealand on the far north route
Barrier Air's 14-seater Cessna Grand Caravan taxis on the tarmac in Kerikeri — the small airline taking big steps to challenge Air New Zealand on regional routes Regional carrier Barrier Air has successfully carved a niche on the Auckland–Kerikeri route, directly competing with national giant Air New Zealand. Since launching the service in August 2024. Founded in 1983 as Great Barrier Airlines and rebranded in 2015, Barrier Air operates a fleet of six Cessna Grand Caravans, serving routes including Auckland to Kerikeri, Kaitāia, Whitianga, and Aotea/Great Barrier Island, as well as connections from Aotea to Tauranga and North airline has sold over 8,000 seats in the first eight months, with plans to double that figure in the coming year.'Each month the passenger numbers continue to grow, and we are grateful to all of our loyal passengers who have travelled with us,' said CEO Grant Bacon. 'We are excited about what the future holds for further expansion on air services into the Far North.' Barrier Air's entry into Kerikeri was driven by local demand for more travel options, especially amid frequent cancellations by Air New Zealand. To address this, the airline introduced a flat-rate return voucher system priced at $245, valid for any flight within 12 months, offering flexibility and affordability to travelers. The airline operates 22 return flights weekly between Auckland and Kerikeri, utilizing 14-seater Cessna Grand Caravans. This expansion follows their successful operations in Kaitāia, where they now conduct 34 weekly flights, a significant increase attributed to strong community support. Far North Mayor Moko Tepania praised the airline's commitment, stating, 'I encourage the 75,000 Far Northeners who call our district home to continue to use and support Barrier Air so that we can ensure that they remain financially viable and continue to provide their services to our remote district.'While the airline had considered expanding to Whangārei, Bacon noted that, due to ongoing industry challenges, this plan is on hold for the current calendar year. 'With the cost base challenges the industry is continuing to face, the idea of operations into Whangārei is something we will continue to monitor, but I do not anticipate a commencement of services into Whangārei this calendar year,' he said.
The Advertiser
10-05-2025
- The Advertiser
Explore the cultural tapestry of south east Asia on a cruise
The ultimate arrival: Viking's Southeast Asia & Hong Kong voyage explores the cultural tapestry and heart of Indochina. Destination highlights: Formed over 500 million years, more than 1600 islands of towering limestone dot the seascape of Ha Long Bay, one of the world's most magnificent landscapes. For centuries, fishermen and merchants have navigated this archipelago. Embark on an authentic junk, iconic vessels that have plied these waters for 1800 years, for a scenic cruise of vertical cliffs draped in brush and forest, surrounded by labyrinthine emerald-green waterways. Do not miss: Soar 300 feet above this spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site in a Cessna Grand Caravan. Enjoy a bird's-eye view of the lush valleys, bays and hidden villages of the hundreds of towering islands that emerge from its emerald waters. Why go: The dense rainforest supports rare species of birdlife and mammals, and the bay houses 163 species of coral and over a thousand species of fish, creating a colourful undersea home for its aquatic inhabitants. The ultimate arrival: Viking's Southeast Asia & Hong Kong voyage explores the cultural tapestry and heart of Indochina. Destination highlights: Formed over 500 million years, more than 1600 islands of towering limestone dot the seascape of Ha Long Bay, one of the world's most magnificent landscapes. For centuries, fishermen and merchants have navigated this archipelago. Embark on an authentic junk, iconic vessels that have plied these waters for 1800 years, for a scenic cruise of vertical cliffs draped in brush and forest, surrounded by labyrinthine emerald-green waterways. Do not miss: Soar 300 feet above this spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site in a Cessna Grand Caravan. Enjoy a bird's-eye view of the lush valleys, bays and hidden villages of the hundreds of towering islands that emerge from its emerald waters. Why go: The dense rainforest supports rare species of birdlife and mammals, and the bay houses 163 species of coral and over a thousand species of fish, creating a colourful undersea home for its aquatic inhabitants. The ultimate arrival: Viking's Southeast Asia & Hong Kong voyage explores the cultural tapestry and heart of Indochina. Destination highlights: Formed over 500 million years, more than 1600 islands of towering limestone dot the seascape of Ha Long Bay, one of the world's most magnificent landscapes. For centuries, fishermen and merchants have navigated this archipelago. Embark on an authentic junk, iconic vessels that have plied these waters for 1800 years, for a scenic cruise of vertical cliffs draped in brush and forest, surrounded by labyrinthine emerald-green waterways. Do not miss: Soar 300 feet above this spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site in a Cessna Grand Caravan. Enjoy a bird's-eye view of the lush valleys, bays and hidden villages of the hundreds of towering islands that emerge from its emerald waters. Why go: The dense rainforest supports rare species of birdlife and mammals, and the bay houses 163 species of coral and over a thousand species of fish, creating a colourful undersea home for its aquatic inhabitants. The ultimate arrival: Viking's Southeast Asia & Hong Kong voyage explores the cultural tapestry and heart of Indochina. Destination highlights: Formed over 500 million years, more than 1600 islands of towering limestone dot the seascape of Ha Long Bay, one of the world's most magnificent landscapes. For centuries, fishermen and merchants have navigated this archipelago. Embark on an authentic junk, iconic vessels that have plied these waters for 1800 years, for a scenic cruise of vertical cliffs draped in brush and forest, surrounded by labyrinthine emerald-green waterways. Do not miss: Soar 300 feet above this spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site in a Cessna Grand Caravan. Enjoy a bird's-eye view of the lush valleys, bays and hidden villages of the hundreds of towering islands that emerge from its emerald waters. Why go: The dense rainforest supports rare species of birdlife and mammals, and the bay houses 163 species of coral and over a thousand species of fish, creating a colourful undersea home for its aquatic inhabitants.
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Nalganga-Wainganga river linking project takes off with aerial survey
1 2 Nagpur: The first phase of the aerial survey to map the course for the ambitious Nalganga-Wainganga river linking project is expected to be completed by early May. The second phase of the aerial survey may take over a month, as per Ceinsy Tech , the company entrusted with the mapping contract and drafting the detailed project report (DPR). A DPR of the Rs87,000 crore project, mooted by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, will be drafted after the completion of the aerial survey. Getting the correct picture from the skies amid the blinding glare of the sun in the Vidarbha summer is among the challenges that need to be overcome, say sources involved in the project. The project envisages linking the Wainganga river in Bhandara district in the east of Maharashtra with Nalganga in Buldhana 427km away in the western part of the state. Bringing Wainganga waters to Buldhana is expected to alleviate the water woes of the parched west Vidarbha region. The project aims to irrigate around 3.75 lakh hectares of farmland. However, the route to change the river course has to be decided first. Flying over the rivers will help design the blueprint faster. It would locate the spots where canals, barrages and lift irrigation schemes can be built. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like [Click Here] - 2025 Top Trending Search - Local network access Esseps Learn More Undo Ceinsy Tech's managing director Kushal Kona said the team has set a target of finishing the entire work, which includes capturing the images and processing them, by May end. Preparing the DPR will be the next step, he said. The entire terrain, the rock strata, and impediments on the way are being photographed. The cameras do not give a very clear picture during excessive heat, especially over 43 degrees. Too much heat leads to overexposure to light, affecting the picture's clarity, said a company source. The data is later processed into a format compatible with preparing maps. An aerial survey of such a scale is being undertaken for the first time in the state, sources said. Two Cessna Grand Caravan planes carrying three crew members take off from Nagpur airport at 6.30am each day. Flying over Nagpur, Wardha, Bhandara, and other parts of Vidarbha. The aircraft capture photographs of every terrain detail and geographical feature along the way. They land before 10:30am as the Vidarbha summer gets harsher. The planes take off with a target of covering 100 sq km a day. The project involves covering a total area of over 6,000 sq km, said sources in the company. So far close to 1,700 sq km of polygon area has been covered. The aerial survey began in March, and last week another aircraft was deployed. The company has asked for a second take-off slot after 3.30pm when the sun gets milder. However, the runway at Nagpur airport is not available at that time so single sorties of the two aircraft are being taken, said a company source. The matter has been taken up with the airport operators. The work may be completed faster if the planes can fly twice a day, said a source.
Daily Mail
22-04-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Passenger recalls watching hero pilot land Belizean plane as he was being stabbed by hijacker Akinyela Taylor
A shaken expat has told how US veteran Akinyela Taylor launched a deranged stabbing spree on board a packed Caribbean passenger flight – after the pilot refused to fly him to Texas. Doug Maxwell told how he watched in disbelief as Taylor sank a five-inch dagger into another passenger's neck moments after taking off from Corozal Municipal Airport in Belize on Thursday last week. The 14-seater Cessna Grand Caravan was configured for a 20-minute hop to the island of Ambergris Caye but the madman wanted to detour to Texas – a journey of 900-plus miles. Doug and his wife Kim cowered at the back of the plane as Tropic Air pilot Howell Grange circled erratically for nearly two hours before deciding to land in Belize City. Taylor slashed at Grange with the knife and grabbed at the controls until businessman Fitzgerald Brown suddenly pulled a handgun - and 'neutralized' Taylor, 49, with a blast to the chest. 'The pilot was focused on the landing while the hijacker was stabbing him and fighting for control of the plane,' Doug, 66, told 'Fitz had been stabbed. He was almost bleeding to death. But he had the patience to wait until the plane was almost on the ground before pulling his weapon. 'He used it at just the right moment. It was the most improbable, crazy thing. Both of those guys are real heroes.' Cops found Taylor bleeding out as they surrounded the Cessna on the tarmac of the Philip Goldson International Airport. The St. Louis native – previously a joint interface control officer in the Air National Guard – was transported to the hospital but was dead on arrival. Grange and Brown were badly injured in the midair melee, along with a Tropic Air manager who was on board the 8am commuter service. Doug, a retired real estate investor from Nashville, Tennessee had flown that same route more than 100 times to get to his home on Ambergris Caye. 'There are no baggage checks or X-ray machines in Corozal,' he told 'The small airports in Belize have minimal security. It's like hopping on a bus. Everyone knows one another for the most part.' There was at least one new face among the 14 passengers, however. Taylor had slipped across the porous Mexico-Belize border over the weekend having earlier been refused entry at a border crossing. He was sat next to Brown, the owner of a barbecue restaurant, and was across the aisle from Doug's wife Kim, 61. 'My wife noticed this guy was sweating profusely. Literally right after takeoff he pulled a knife and stabbed Fitz. There was blood pouring from his head,' said Doug. 'The knife was about five inches long. A little dagger basically.' As Kim scrambled to the back of the 52-foot plane, Air Tropic manager Franchesco Castaneda tried to intervene but was stabbed in the chest, head and arms. A young boy was sitting next to the pilot but he fled and Taylor chillingly took his place. 'At that point we realized this wasn't an altercation or a dispute, this was a hijacking,' Doug explained. 'There was blood everywhere. The young man was visibly in shock and crying. The rest of us were terrified. 'The hijacker had no real plan other than he wanted to be taken to Texas but that little plane can't fly across Mexico to Texas. 'I think once he became aware of that, he probably just wanted headlines and international news coverage.' As Kim, Doug, and their fellow passengers did their best to bandage up the wounded men, Grange concentrated on keeping the plane in the air. Flight V3-HIG circled Belizean airspace for the next hour and 40 minutes before it ran low on fuel. 'My assumption was the pilot was hoping the guy was high on drugs and that he would eventually come down,' added Doug, a grandad and dad of three. 'When that didn't happen, I wondered if the pilot was just running down the fuel so we didn't turn into a fireball when we hit the ground. 'It seems that he was trying to run down the fuel so he could insist on landing.' Taylor was unmoved by the pilot's pleas, however, and vowed to crash the turboprop into the ground as it descended towards Philip Goldson International. 'That's when he began wrestling the pilot for control of the plane,' said Doug. 'The guy was saying, you're not landing this plane. If you try to land we're taking this whole thing down and everyone is going to die.' As the Cessna hovered above the runway, the passengers unlatched the emergency exits, fearing they might have a split second to jump clear before it soared back into the air. 'As soon as the landing gear touched down we pulled the doors open. The first guy fell out while the plane was still at a fairly high speed,' Doug said. 'That's when we heard the shots in the front of the plane. It seemed like there were at least four or five. 'My wife and I were probably the third and fourth off the plane. She sprained her leg but she's ok. We ran as fast as we could towards the emergency vehicles.' Belize Police Commissioner Chester Williams said 60-year-old Brown – a former security guard – was licensed to carry a gun and was a 'hero' for using it. But the Central American nation nonetheless faces serious questions about the safety of its airports and the ease with which weapons were taken on board. The Government of Belize said the hijacking was 'unexpected and deeply troubling' but defended its airspace as 'typically very secure'. 'Upon landing, the assailant sustained a fatal shot. Belizean security forces responded swiftly and professionally. A formal investigation has been launched and is actively underway,' a statement read. 'We commend the pilot for his exceptional professionalism and composure in the face of a highly stressful situation. 'His actions undoubtedly safeguarded the lives of all on board. All passengers demonstrated remarkable bravery, and their efforts contributed to the positive outcome.'
Gulf Today
18-04-2025
- Gulf Today
US citizen shot dead by passenger after attempting to hijack plane
A US man hijacked a small plane in Belize on Thursday, stabbing two passengers and a pilot, before one of the stabbed passengers fatally shot him, officials in Belize and the United States said. The plane then landed safely. The Tropic Air plane was carrying 14 passengers and two crew members, and was flying from Corozal, a small town near Belize's border with Mexico, heading to the popular tourist destination of San Pedro when it was hijacked. The plane circled in random directions for nearly two hours as the drama unfolded in the skies. The plane was tailed by a police helicopter before touching down at an airport in the coastal town of Ladyville. The would-be hijacker threatened the pilot shortly after the Cessna Grand Caravan from Belize's Tropic Air took off in the morning with 14 on board from the town of Corozal. It was headed for the Belizean island of San Pedro, but the man ordered the pilot to head "out of the country," police commissioner Chester Williams told Channel 5 news. A Tropic Air counter is seen at Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport in Belize City. AFP The plane hovered for some time over the international airport of Belize City before landing just as it was about to run out of fuel, at which point the hijacker stabbed two fellow passengers. One had a firearm he was licensed to carry, and shot the attacker dead, according to officials and local media. Police identified the assailant as 49-year-old US national Akinyela Sawa Taylor, who was apparently a military veteran. The injured passengers were taken to the hospital. The US Embassy in Belize expressed its regret over the incident on the eve of the Easter long weekend. "It really highlights the importance of safety and security," the embassy's public affairs officer Luke Martin told reporters. "We have a strong relationship with Belizean law enforcement, and in times like this, that partnership proves crucial," with a quick exchange of information, he added. Agencies
