View source for Freedom Air

{{Short description|Defunct low-cost airline of New Zealand (1995–2008)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=September 2017}}
{{about|the former airline of New Zealand|the Guam-based airline|Freedom Air (Guam)}}
{{Infobox airline
| airline = Freedom Air International
| logo = HeaderNewLogobg.png
| logo_size = 200
| IATA = SJ
| ICAO = FOM
| callsign = FREEDOM
| parent = [[Air New Zealand]]
| founded = {{start date|1995|||df=yes}}
| commenced = {{start date|1995|12|08|df=yes}}
| ceased = {{end date|2008|03|30|df=yes}}
| headquarters = [[Auckland]], New Zealand
| key_people = Rob Fyfe ([[Chief executive officer|CEO]])
| hubs = [[Auckland Airport]]
| focus_cities = 
| alliance = 
| fleet_size = 11
| destinations = 13
| website = [https://web.archive.org/web/20060412112145/http://www.freedomair.com/index.jsp www.freedomair.com]
}}

'''Freedom Air''' (legally ''Freedom Air International'') was a New Zealand [[low-cost airline]] which operated since 8 December 1995 to March 2008. It was part of the [[Air New Zealand]] Group, which ran scheduled passenger services from [[New Zealand]] to [[Australia]] and [[Fiji]] and charter services within New Zealand. Its main hub was [[Auckland Airport]].<ref name="FI">{{cite news|title= Directory: World Airlines|work=[[Flight International]]|page= 84|date=2007-04-03}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Freedom Air Boeing 757.jpg|thumb|Freedom Air's leased [[Boeing 757-200]] at [[Hamilton Airport (New Zealand)|Hamilton Airport]], used on its inaugural flight in 1995]]
[[File:Airbus A320-232, Freedom Air JP5890288.jpg|thumb|A Freedom Air [[Airbus A320-200]] at [[Christchurch Airport]] in 2006]]

The airline was established in 1995 as a response to the commencement of discount services between Australia and New Zealand by [[Kiwi Travel International Airlines]]<ref name=TVNZ-AirNZCompetitors>{{cite web|url=http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/425823/1319689|title=Air NZ's competitors on domestic market|date=23 August 2007|work=[[Television New Zealand]]|access-date=30 September 2011}}</ref> and started operations on 8 December 1995 with a single [[Boeing 757-200]]. It was ordinally formed as '''South Pacific Air Charters''' by [[Mount Cook Airline]] and renamed to '''Freedom Air International''' in 1998.

By 2004, its fleet had expanded to five [[Boeing 737-300]]<ref>[http://www.freedomair.com/en/display.aspx?id=129&type=2 Freedom Air Press Release - Freedom Air’s fifth aircraft takes to the skies] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061024171811/http://www.freedomair.com/en/display.aspx?id=129&type=2|date=24 October 2006}}, 10 December 2004</ref> aircraft, and it was providing direct non-stop services to the Australian cities of [[Brisbane]], [[Gold Coast, Queensland|Gold Coast]], [[Newcastle, New South Wales|Newcastle]], [[Sydney]] and [[Melbourne]] from [[Hamilton, New Zealand|Hamilton]], [[Auckland]], [[Wellington]], [[Christchurch]], [[Dunedin]] and [[Palmerston North]]. Flights to [[Fiji]] were also operated. It briefly operated on the [[New Zealand]] main trunk domestic routes such as Auckland–Christchurch, but ceased these services to concentrate on providing value [[trans-Tasman]] flights.<ref name="TVNZ-AirNZCompetitors"/>

In June 2006, the aircraft from Freedom Air were combined with Air New Zealand's fleet of Airbus A320-200 under the [[air operator's certificate]] of [[Zeal320]], which was then the sole operator of the Air New Zealand Group's Airbus fleet.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.caa.govt.nz/Script/Air_Mod_List.asp?Model_ID=1400 |title=New Zealand Aircraft Register |access-date=31 October 2007 |archive-date=6 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306022954/https://www.caa.govt.nz/Script/Air_Mod_List.asp?Model_ID=1400 |url-status=dead }}</ref> When the airline ceased Zeal320 had one aircraft painted in Freedom Air livery.<ref>[http://www.aviationpage.co.nz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=30 Details on AviationPage New Zealand] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070314084737/http://www.aviationpage.co.nz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=30|date=14 March 2007}}</ref> As such, Freedom Air has no aircraft or current air operator's certificate, and Freedom Air is no longer an operational entity.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.caa.govt.nz/Script/AvDocClientList.asp?Details_ID=1 |title=New Zealand Part 119 Air Operator certificate holders |access-date=31 October 2007 |archive-date=6 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170806180712/http://www.caa.govt.nz/Script/AvDocClientList.asp?Details_ID=1 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Air New Zealand ceased all Freedom Air operations from the end of March 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/4192461a10.html|title=Air NZ to ground Freedom Air|date=6 September 2007|work=[[Stuff.co.nz]]|access-date=30 September 2011|archive-date=21 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080621103926/http://www.stuff.co.nz/4192461a10.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Destinations==
Throughout its existence, Freedom Air flew to six destinations in New Zealand, five in Australia and one in Fiji.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.freedomair.com/en/fulldisplay.aspx?id=Route%20Guide&type=1|title=Freedom Air - Route Guide|access-date=23 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626183407/http://www.freedomair.com/en/fulldisplay.aspx?id=Route%20Guide&type=1|archive-date=26 June 2007|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all }}</ref> When the airline shut down on 30 March 2008, all services were replaced by [[Air New Zealand]] flights, except flights out of [[Palmerston North]], which left the airport without any international services. Flights to [[Nadi]] and [[Newcastle, New South Wales|Newcastle]] were withdrawn prior to 2008.

*{{AUS}}
**[[Brisbane]] – [[Brisbane Airport]]
**[[Gold Coast, Queensland|Gold Coast]] – [[Gold Coast Airport]]
**[[Melbourne]] – [[Melbourne Airport]]
**[[Newcastle, New South Wales|Newcastle]] – [[Newcastle Airport, New South Wales|Newcastle Airport]]<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200112/s441363.htm Freedom Air flies into Newcastle], 15 December 2001</ref>
**[[Sydney]] – [[Sydney Airport]]

*{{FIJ}}
**[[Nadi]] – [[Nadi International Airport]]<ref>[http://www.freedomair.com/en/display.aspx?id=129&type=2 Freedom Air Press Release – Freedom Air Wellington – Fiji Service Takes Flight] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061024171811/http://www.freedomair.com/en/display.aspx?id=129&type=2 |date=24 October 2006 }}, 11 February 2005</ref>

*{{NZL}}
**[[Auckland]] – [[Auckland Airport]] ('''Hub''')
**[[Christchurch]] – [[Christchurch Airport]]
**[[Dunedin]] – [[Dunedin Airport]]
**[[Hamilton, New Zealand|Hamilton]] – [[Hamilton Airport (New Zealand)|Hamilton Airport]]
**[[Palmerston North]] – [[Palmerston North Airport]]
**[[Wellington]] – [[Wellington Airport]]

==Fleet==
[[File:Freedom Air to NZ-001+ (495821266).jpg|thumb|A Freedom Air [[Airbus A320-200]] with a special livery to promote [[Warner Bros. Movie World]]]]

Freedom Air had operated the following aircraft:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Airfleets aviation |url=https://www.airfleets.net/home/captcha.php |access-date=2025-12-18 |website=www.airfleets.net}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em auto; text-align:center"
|+ Freedom Air fleet
|-
!Aircraft
!Total
!Introduced
!Retired
!Notes
|-
|[[Airbus A320-200]]
|12
|2005
|2008
|3 leased from [[Air New Zealand]].
|-
|[[Boeing 737-200]]
|1
|1996
|1997
|
|-
|[[Boeing 737-300]]
|9
|1996
|2006
|6 leased from [[Air New Zealand]]. <br> 1 leased from [[TACA Airlines]]. <br> 1 leased from [[Polynesian Airlines]].
1 leased from [[Transavia]].
|-
|[[Boeing 757-200]]
|1
|1995
|1996
|Leased from [[Britannia Airways]].
|-
|}

==See also==
* [[List of defunct airlines of New Zealand]]
* [[History of aviation in New Zealand]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Freedom Air}}
*[https://web.archive.org/*/http://www.freedomair.com Freedom Air]
*[http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?nr_of_rows=345&sort_order=year&first_this_page=0&page_limit=60&thumbnails=&&airlinesearch=Freedom%20Air Freedom Air pictures]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927040516/http://www.aviationpage.co.nz/readarticle.php?article_id=3 Details on AviationPage New Zealand]

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{{Airlines of New Zealand}}

[[Category:Air New Zealand]]
[[Category:Defunct airlines of New Zealand]]
[[Category:Defunct low-cost airlines]]
[[Category:Airlines established in 1995]]
[[Category:Airlines disestablished in 2008]]
[[Category:1995 establishments in New Zealand]]
[[Category:2008 disestablishments in New Zealand]]