The recent visit by Skytrans Airlines Dash-8-100 VH-QQG at Rockhampton Airport prompted us to look into the current status of their Dash-8 fleet following the shutdown and then re-launch in conjunction with West Wing Aviation in early 2015.
With thanks to the fantastic FNQ Skies Blog and other web-based resources, here is an update and summary of the Skytrans Dash-8 fleet as at Saturday 3 September:
VH-QQA Dash-8-100 (c/n 005) (ex P2-MCN) - stored at Cairns - no recent movements - last known movement was in November 2015 - wears new Skytrans colour scheme.
VH-QQB Dash-8-100 (c/n 004) (ex VH-TQO) - currently located at Brisbane - operating Fly-in Fly-out (FIFO) charter flights to Taroom and Chinchilla from/to Brisbane - wears new Skytrans colour scheme.
VH-QQC Dash-8-100 (c/n 008) (ex VH-JSZ) - currently located at Cairns - noted in heavy maintenance.
VH-QQF Dash-8-100 (c/n 014) (ex P2-MCO) - currently located at Cairns - operating scheduled Regular Passenger Transport (RPT) flights to Cape York and Gulf of Carpentaria centres from/to Cairns - wears old Skytrans colour scheme.
VH-QQG Dash-8-100 (c/n 036) (ex 5W-FAA) - currently located at Cairns - operating scheduled Regular Passenger Transport (RPT) flights to Cape York and Gulf of Carpentaria centres from/to Cairns - wears new Skytrans colour scheme.
VH-QQI(2) Dash-8-100 (c/n 117) (ex N717AV) - stored at Cairns - wears old Skytrans colour scheme.
VH-QQM Dash-8-300 (c/n 286) (ex G-WOWD) - stored at Cairns - all white colour scheme.
UPDATE! VH-QQM departed Cairns Airport on Friday 9 December for Majuro in the Marshall Islands wearing the Canadian registration marking of C-GCBK of Inter-Aero Inc - as shown below. Of interest, C-GCBK continued to Honolulu (Hawaii), Buchanan Field (Concord, California) and Montreal (Trudeau) Airport in Canada on completion of its delivery flight (presumably) to a new operator.
VH-QQP Dash-8-300 (c/n 232) (ex V2-LGA) - stored at Cairns - wears old Skytrans colour scheme.
UPDATE! VH-QQP left Australia for good by departing Cairns Airport on Saturday 27 May for Majuro in the Marshall Islands. It was still painted in the old-style Skytrans livery but was re-registered as VH-BBU of Air Fleet Management (Queensland) - as shown below. It was later noted arriving into Toronto (Pearson) Airport in Canada on completion of its delivery flight (presumably) to a new operator. It also appears to have taken up a new Canadian registration marking.
From the list above, both VH-QQA and VH-QQB also spent time operating out of Perth (Western Australia) for Maroomba Airlines at various times during the 2000s. Currently, Maroomba Airlines operates ex-Skytrans Airlines Dash-8-100s VH-QQD(2) (c/n 245) (ex S2-AAA), VH-QQK (c/n 326) (ex N846EX) and VH-QQL (c/n 388) (ex N825EX).
Finally, Skytrans (and Maroomba) operated eight other Dash-8-100s which have since left Australia - including:
VH-QQD(1) (c/n 041) (ex P2-MCK) - left in 2010 - now P2-MCK with Airlines PNG / PNG Air.
VH-QQE (c/n 173) (ex N821EX) - left in 2013 - now C-GUXF with Air Creebec (Canada).
VH-QQH(1) (c/n 033) (ex VH-TNX) - left in 2008 - now P2-MCP with Airlines PNG / PNG Air.
VH-QQH(2) (c/n 135) (ex VH-TQP) - left in 2008 - now P2-MCT with Airlines PNG / PNG Air.
VH-QQH(3) (c/n 380) (ex N982HA) - left in 2013 - now P2-MCN with Airlines PNG / PNG Air.
VH-QQI(1) (c/n 067) (ex VH-TQF) - left in 2010 - now P2-MCW with Airlines PNG / PNG Air.
VH-QQJ(1) (c/n 208) (ex VH-TQR) - left in 2009 - now P2-MCU with Airlines PNG / PNG Air.
VH-QQJ(2) (c/n 392) (ex N828EX) - left in 2013 - now N880EA with Ravn Alaska (Era Alaska).
As a plane spotter, I do find all this information very interesting!
I do hope that it is correct - if there are any errors - feel free to send an email or leave a message below with some corrections!
Sincere thanks to the FNQ Skies Blog for their assistance in compiling this post!
Photos taken by 'IAD' and the FNQ Skies Blog ©
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