1990s AIRLINERS
A selection of my photographs of Australian airliners during the 1990s

The decade opened with Australian domestic airlines recovering from the 1989 Ansett pilots' industrial action and subsequent dismissal.
Airliners were wet-leased from all operators all over the word to fill the void.
Britannia Airways Boeing 737 G-BNRT at Cairns in January 1990 while on lease to Australian Airlines

French operator Aeromaritime Boeing 737 F-GFUA at Cairns in January 1990, while leased by Australian Airlines


America West Airlines Boeing 737 N166AW at Cairns January 1990 operating Ansett services

Paramount Airlines Boeing 737 G-PATE departs Caims in February 1990 operating an Ansett service

Newcomer on the Australian domestic airline scene was short-lived Compass Airlines, launched in 1990 with Airbus A300s.
Here's VH-YMJ at Melbourne Airport in April 1991. Due massive losses Compass ceased operations in December that year.

Ansett Australia had twenty Airbus A320-200s. VH-HYJ seen at Melbourne in April 1991 had been delivered only two months earlier.

The Government owned domestic airline Australian Airlines, formerly Trans-Australia Airlines, was merged into Qantas in 1992.
Boeing 737-300 VH-TAG at Alice Springs in August 1990 shows the final attractive Australian Airlines paint scheme.

Australian Airlines operated Twin Otters from Cairns on Australian Regional services to Far North Queensland locations, including the
holiday resorts at Dunk Island and Lizard Island.  VH-TGH seen at Townsville in March 1990

East-West Airlines commenced in 1947 as a NSW regional airline. The business had endured a series of corporate takeovers culminating
in it being absorbed into Ansett in 1993. Here's BAe146 VH-EWM at Cairns September 1991 on a sheduled service from Sydney.

Changes in the West as well, where Ansett WA was merged into Ansett Australia. F.28 VH-FKC seen at Perth in April 1991

Ansett operated this Boeing 707 freighter VH-HTC in the markings of associated company TNT Freight. Seen at Perth April 1991

IPEC Aviation DC-9 freighter VH-IPC at Melbourne-Essendon in April 1991. IPEC had replaced its Argosy freighters with DC-9s for
their nightly cargo services to Tasmania, VH-IPC was newest, delivered from USA February 1990.

French airline Air Caledonie International Boeing 737 F-ODGX at Melbourne April 1991 on a regular service to New Caledonia

Lockheed L1011 Tristars of US charter operator American Trans Air made a series of stopovers at Cairns during 1991 on
"My Private Jet" around-the-world luxury tours.  N189AT at Cairns August 1991.

NASA Douglas DC-8-62 N717NA at Cairns while operating from Townsville in 1998 with sensor fittings under the rear fuselage
 

The last BAC-111 seen in this part of the world, Pelita Air Services' PK-PJF based at Cairns on long-term contract to Freeport Mining
carrying company staff to their mining operations near Timika, West Irian now renamed West Papua. Cairns February 1990.

Airfast Indonesia took over the Freeport Mining FIFO contract in 1990 with Boeing 737s. PK-OCG departs Cairns for Timika in July 1990.

The mighty Ukranian Antonov An-124 Ruslans were relatively frequent sights in Australia during the 1990s carrying outsized cargo.
British operator Air Foyle was leasing CCCP-82008 when it visited Cairns in February 1993.



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