TONGA AIRCRAFT REGISTER
Compiled by David Wise
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Previously called Friendly Islands and assigned to use VQ-Fxx (Fiji). A3- registration prefix was allocated from Jan 1971 but not used until 1986.
Information collated from reports in Air Britain News and reports on websites. Cross-checked with Joe Barr and added Jan 2013.
Note Peau Vava'u airline bankrupt in 2009. Real Tonga bankrupt 6/20 replaced with new start-up Lulutai owned by Tonga Govt
This register is posted as "work in progress". Any corrections or extra information would be welcome. Please e-mail dave.wise@btinternet.com.
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A3-AAA to A3-ZZZ
Reg | Issue | Reg date |
Type | Const Number |
History |
In mid-1981 it was noted that the only aircraft based Tonga was | |||||
ZK-KHA | 1 | 11/73 | BN2A-21 Islander | 661 | (opTonga Air) ex G-AZDL/(HI-213) to ZK-NNE>DQ-FET cx 12/85 |
Issue of A3- registrations started in early 1989 - A3-FQK & FQL had been based since 1988 with Friendly Islands Airways using ZK- marks rereg 3/93 | |||||
A3-AWB | 9/13 | Bellanca 7GCBC | 819-75 | ex AW-02/N8649V Tonga Defence Air Wing rereg ex AW-02 current | |
A3-AWP | 11/05 | Douglas C-47B-30-DK | 16387/33135 | ex ZK-AWP/5W-FAI/ZK-AWP/NZ3543/44-76803 (op Peau Vava'u to Chathams Pacific 8/09) reverted to ZK-AWP cx 11/13 | |
A3-BFK | 1/00 | Short SD-360-200 | Sh 3693 | ex C6-BFK/N695CC/G-BMNI/G-14-3693 (op Royal Tongan) wfu 4/04 to N429AS (South Pacific Express Pago Pago) cx 12/04 | |
A3-CIA | 6/10 | Be B80 Queenair | LD-506 | ex ZK-WKA/VH-AEQ/N1529L/HP-C300/N1529L/N2824B (op Chathams Pacific lsd to Real Tonga from 4/13) dgd u/c collapse Eua 4/14 still current | |
A3-DST | 3/93 | Lake LA 4-200 | 401 | ex ZK-DST/N7628L (based USA in 1999) to N7628L cx 11/00 (cont op in Tonga) | |
A3-FEW | 4/06 | Be A65 | LC-168 | ex DQ-FEW/YJ-RV17/N232F (op Peau Vava'u (on reb 8/09) > Chathams Pacific dgd n/w collapse Fua'amotu 5/10) still current | |
A3-FQK | 3/93 | DHC6-300 | 659 | (Prev op in Tonga as ZK-FQK since 4/88) ex ZK-FQK/N105AC (op Royal Tongan) to VH-AHI cx 5/97 >9M-SSN>9M-KAT>PK-LTW>HB-LUG>8Q-MBB | |
A3-FQL | 3/93 | DHC6-300 | 685 | (Prev op in Tonga as ZK-FQL since 5/88) ex ZK-FQL/N107AC (op Royal Tongan) wfu 4/04 to VH-VHP cx 12/04 then PK-YRU | |
A3-GQW | 12/97 | DHC-2 Beaver f/p | 124 | ex CF-GQW to DQ-GWW cx 11/99 then ZK-LAY | |
A3-LYP | 12/09 | BN-2A-27 | 821 | ex ZK-LYP/YR-BNO/G-BELD (Chathams Pacific lsd to Real Tonga from 4/13) reverted to ZK-LYP cx 11/13 | |
A3-MCA | 11/95 | HS748-2A | 1712 | ex ZK-MCA/G-11-7 to G-OTBA 12/00 | |
A3-PAS | 10/13 | BN2A-26 | 159 | ex 5W-JUN/DQ-FIN/VH-ISA/G-AXYR/G-51-159 (lsd from Samoa Air) op Real Tonga current | |
A3-PUA | 4/16 | Saab 340B | 408 | ex VH-VEF/VH-VNX/N408XJ/SE-B08 op Real Tonga > Lulutai current | |
(A3-RTA) | r12/88 ntu | DC9-87 | 49673 | (res for Royal Tongan lsd from GPA) reservation ntu to 9V-TRY then > XA-RUO> EI-CBU > XA-SFO > N673HC > N952MA | |
A3-RTL | 6/13 | Xian MA-60 | 0904 | ex B-1027L oened Tonga Govt op Real Tonga> Lulutai current | |
A3-SAM | 8/14 | Jetstream 3206 | 982 | ex VH-OTF/(SE-LJC)/G-CBER/F-GMVO/G-31-982 op Real Tonga to VH-NTL cx 5/16 | |
A3-SKY | 6/15 | Jetstream 3201 | 974 | ex ZK-VAI/VH-OTP/RP-C863/VH-OTP/G-BURU/ F-GMVH/G-BURU/G-31-974 op Real Tonga to VH-ACV cx 5/17 | |
A3-SMP | 9/86 | CASA C212CD | C212-294 | (Prev op in Tonga as ZK-THV from 11/85) ex ZK-THV/VH-SMO op Friendly Islands>5/89 Royal Tongan to N31BR cx 1/90 then N502FS | |
A3-SPV | 8/14 | Harbin Y-12-IV | 032 | ex YJ-AV6/B-979L owned Tonga Govt op Real Tonga > Lulutai current | |
A3-XRH | 9/06 | Jetstream 4112 | 41052 | ex ZK-JSM/(SE-LJD)/C-FTVN/G-4-052 (op Peau Vava'u) reverted to ZK-JSM cx 12/08 then to ZS-JSM 4/09 | |
A3-? | 11/19 | GA-7 Cougar | GA7-0088 | ex VH-MJD/VH-OMG/VH-BDP/(ZK-FSB)/9V-BLA/N29757 current | |
A3-? | 11/19 | GA-7 Cougar | GA7-0097 | ex VH-WYW/N723G current {but still current as VH-WYW 12/20?) | |
A3- ? | c5/13 | Harbin Y-12-IV | reservation for Real Tonga n.t.u. (YJ-AV5 leased instead see below) | ||
A3- ? | ?/16 | Saab 340B | (second res for Real Tonga in 5/16 n.t.u - requirement revived 7/19?) | ||
A3- ? | ?/16 | AS350 | 1466 | ex VH-VWA/XU-WLA/ZK-HDK/F-ODVZ/N888EB/N57959 (VH-VWA photo on press release) Tonga Air Medical plus tourism b Tongatapu announced 2/16 (ntu VH-VWA remained current) | |
A3- ? | ?/16 | AS350 | Tonga Air Medical plus tourism b Vava'u announced 2/16 (believed ntu) | ||
Tonga Defence Air Wing | |||||
?? | 6/86 | Victa Airtourer 115 | R151 | Tonga Defence Air Wing ex DQ-FBD/VQ-FBD/ZK-CMB not flown, returned to Fiji & sold to NZ for long-term rebuild | |
AW-01 | 5/96 | Beech G18S | BA-483 | ex N9644R (cx 11/96) Tonga Defence Air Wing current (mabe rereg A3-AWA 9/13 not confirmed?) | |
AW-02 | ?/99 | Bellanca 7GCBC | 819-75 | ex N8649V (cx 9/09) Tonga Defence Air Wing rereg A3-AWB 9/13 | |
Other Aircraft based in Tonga | |||||
N782R | Riley DH114 Heron | 1426 | op by Tonga Air lsd 4/77-12/79 | ||
N500MK | Be D18S | A-216 | Aerial Surveys Inc (reported used by King of Tonga) Cof A expired 6/11 | ||
N7628L | Lake LA-4 | 401 | ex A3-DST/ZK-DST/N7628L Aerial Surveys Inc current | ||
YJ-AV5 | Harbin Y-12 | 029 | ex B-978L (op Real Tonga lsd from Air Vanuatu from 3/13) current | ||
DQ-FJX/FJZ | ATR72-212A/600 | (op Real Tonga route Tongatapu-Vava'u. One leased from Fiji Link from 4/15) current | |||
ZK-ELF | C172N | 17270851 | ex N739VX op Palu AS/Kingdom Flight Tng, Tonga from 7/19 cx export (to Tonga?) 9/23 | ||
Since 2009 domestic airline services in Tonga had been operated by Chathams Pacific, using both locally-registered aircraft above and on rotation from the Air Chathams parent company on ZK- register. This was planned to cease in March 2013 and replaced by a new Chinese-financed operation called Real Tonga, but start-up problems resulted in CP aircraft being leased for several months. | |||||
As well as the A3- registered aircraft above, the ZK- registered Air Chathams aircraft which are believed to have operated in Tonga are:- | |||||
ZK-CIB | 3 | 6/96 | CV-580 | 327A | (op Air Chathams) ex C-FCIB/N8444H/TG-MYM/N8444H/N8420H/(PI-C342) current |
ZK-CIC | 2 | 9/93 | SA227AC | AC-623B | (op Air Chathams) ex N623AV current |
ZK-CID | 2 | 10/04 | CV-580 | 385 | (op Air Chathams) ex HZ-SN11/C-FKFA/ZS-KFA/N5826/N3435 oou st PalN 11/08 current |
ZK-CIE | 2 | 8/05 | CV-580 | 399 | (op Air Chathams) ex N565EA/N98G/N98GL/N57RD current |
ZK-CIF | 2 | 10/05 | CV-580 | 381 | (op Air Chathams) ex N566EA/N73167 current |
ZK-REA | 1 | 7/12 | BN2A Islander | 43 | (lsd 8-11/12 to Chathams Pacific in Tonga) ex ZK-FWH/F-OCMN/G-5-12 |
Royal Tongan have operated a number of leased aircraft which retained overseas registrations. These included:- | |||||
ZK-DES | HS748-2A | 1689 | leased by Royal Tongan 10/97-2/98 | ||
DQ-AFM | DHC6-300 | 448 | leased by Royal Tongan 9/00-10/04 | ||
ZK-NAF | B737-2Y5 | 23038 | ex 9H-ABA leased by Royal Tongan 5/99 to N712S 7/01 | ||
V8-RBB | B757-2M6 | 23453 | leased by Royal Tongan 11/02 to 4K-AZ43 4/04 | ||
?? | B737-300 | leased from Nauru Airlines late 19 |
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