A Quick Look at Pel-Air SAAB 340A Freight Flights in to Rockhampton and Mackay Airports

We've spoken about some freight operations in to Central Queensland Airports recently, and in the post we focus on Pel-Air Aviation (Pel-Air) freight operations into Rockhampton and Mackay Airports.

Pel-Air  is a wholly owned subsidiary of Regional Express (REX) and operates both Turboprop and Corporate Jet aircraft in Australia. Pel-Air has a fleet size of 18 aircraft and further access to over 40 Saab aircraft owned by REX.

VH-EKT passing through Rockhampton Airport  (File photo taken by 'IAD'  ©)

Since 1992, Pel-Air has been providing the Australian express freight industry with a broad range of aircraft.  Pel-Air’s current freight charter fleet comprises 3 SAAB 340A Freighter aircraft - VH-EKT, VH-KDB and VH-KDK - each with a capacity 3600kg.  Freight operations are conducted both domestically and internationally on behalf of major freight forwarders

VH-KDB departs Mackay for Rocky  (File photo taken by Dave  ©)

Here in Central Queensland, Pel Air flys into Rockhampton and Mackay Airports on behalf of Qantas Freight (formally Australian Air Express) with one of the Pel Air SAABs flys from Brisbane to Mackay via Rockhampton four times per week - Tuesday to Friday - as PFY7116/7118 - arriving into Mackay under the cover of darkness, around around 5am.  The SAAB then parks at Mackay for the day before departing for Brisbane via Rockhampton in the early evening as PFY7115/7117 - four days a week - Monday to Thursday - with arrival into Brisbane around 9pm at night.

This means from Friday morning to late Monday, a Pel-Air SAAB usually remains parked on the Northern end of the Mackay Airport apron - as shown below.

VH-KDB resting at Mackay Airport  (File photo)

Over the years of the CQ Plane Spotting Blog, there has also been the odd visit by a Pel-Air SAAB 340A Freighter into Gladstone Airport on an ad hoc charter flight.

To learn more about Pel-Air, click onto the following link:  http://www.pelair.com.au/