Sunair still grounded but expects return to full operations in a few weeks, some East Coast routes still running

Regional airline Sunair is still grounded but aims to get back up and flying all its routes soon.

“We’re still awaiting the return of our certificate of airworthiness for our aircraft,” chief executive Doug Roberts said today.

“For some of our routes, we’ve got other operators flying on our behalf.”

Roberts said Air Gisborne was operating its Gisborne-Wairoa-Napier services and in Northland, another operator was flying medical charter services to Whangārei and Kaitāia.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) suspended the airworthiness certificates for what it said were safety reasons earlier this month.

The suspension was expected to run for 10 working days to last Wednesday, July 23.

Roberts said Sunair had been working to address issues with the CAA.

He was hopeful one of the airline’s five Piper PA-23 Aztecs would get clearance as soon as today, as would one of Sunair’s three Cessna 172s.

“They will want to inspect the aircraft before they sign off [to ensure] that they’re fit to fly again,” Roberts told the Herald, referring to the CAA.

“At the moment, aside from the East Coast routes, all our other routes are closed down,” he said.

“In other words, we’re not accepting bookings.”

But he hoped to be able to update customers with more details soon.

Roberts said once the airline was ready to take bookings on other routes again, it would update its website.

“I expect around the 20th of August we’ll have everything back in the air.”

Roberts previously said some issues were identified during a maintenance audit.

He said the CAA had some issues with record-keeping, where relevant details were basically deemed not to have been recorded the way the authority wanted.

The certificate of airworthiness is effectively aviation’s version of motoring’s warrant of fitness (WoF).

“Sunair air transport operations remain suspended while we work with them to resolve outstanding safety matters,” a CAA spokeswoman said today.

“Any decisions about whether and when Sunair will resume flying will be communicated directly with Sunair,” she added.

“No aviation operator will resume flying until the CAA is satisfied that all safety matters have been resolved.”

John Weekes is a business journalist mostly covering aviation and court. He has previously covered consumer affairs, crime, politics and court.