National Jet Systems
Encyclopedia
Cobham Aviation Services Australia (formerly National Jet Systems), is a scheduled and charter airline
with its Headquarters based in Adelaide
, Australia
. It provides aviation services including wet leasing, scheduled airline operations, and charter services across Australia. Cobham conducts passenger and freight operations on behalf of clients such as Qantas, Australian air Express
and Santos
.
Cobham provides mining and resource companies Fly In/Fly Out (FIFO) services across remote Australia. Its main base is Adelaide International Airport
, with hubs at Cairns International Airport
, Darwin International Airport
and Perth Airport
. It is a major contractor for QantasLink
.
, mainly to tourist destinations in northern Australia, operating a fleet of BAe 146
aircraft under the Airlink brand. After Australian Airlines was taken over by Qantas
it continued these operations, and in 2005 commenced operating Boeing 717
aircraft, the operation being rebranded as QantasLink at the same time. The services on behalf of QantasLink are contracted until 2018. An additional base, located in Brisbane, is expected to be open by early 2012.
NJS is ultimately owned by Cobham plc
. NJS has a sister company; National Jet Express, known as Jetex, which conducts scheduled freight services on behalf of Australian air Express
(AaE). Jetex operates three BAe 146 freighters on night freight services to and from curfew-restricted Sydney Airport
. NJS has a subsidiary, Surveillance Australia
, which operates a civilian aerial surveillance program on behalf of the Border Protection Command
. Another subsidiary company, Fleet Support, formerly operated Learjets configured as target tug
s on behalf of the Royal Australian Navy
until the contract was lost to Pel-Air
in 1996. In early 2009, National Jet rebranded its name to Cobham (known as Cobham Aviation Services Australia or CAvSA) inline with a global Cobham rebranding initiative by its parent company Cobham plc
. The company's legal identity as National Jet Express will still remain however the company would trade and operate its aircraft under the name Cobham.
Cobham scheduled services:Queensland
Domestic scheduled destinations for QantasLink
:Northern Territory
As of March 2011 the Cobham fleet consists of the following aircraft:
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
with its Headquarters based in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It provides aviation services including wet leasing, scheduled airline operations, and charter services across Australia. Cobham conducts passenger and freight operations on behalf of clients such as Qantas, Australian air Express
Australian Air Express
Australian air Express is a logistics company based in Melbourne, Australia. It operates freight-only services within Australia using leased Qantas, National Jet Systems, and Pel-Air aircraft and a fleet of land vehicles...
and Santos
Santos Ltd.
Santos Ltd. is a large Australian oil and gas exploration company. Its name is an acronym for South Australia Northern Territory Oil Search.-Operations:...
.
Cobham provides mining and resource companies Fly In/Fly Out (FIFO) services across remote Australia. Its main base is Adelaide International Airport
Adelaide International Airport
Adelaide Airport is the principal airport in the South Australian capital of Adelaide and the fifth busiest airport in Australia, servicing 7,362,000 passengers in the year ending 30 June 2011. Located adjacent to West Beach, it is approximately west of the city-centre...
, with hubs at Cairns International Airport
Cairns International Airport
Cairns Airport is an international airport in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Formerly operated by the Cairns Port Authority, the airport was sold by the Queensland Government in December 2008 to a private consortium. It is the seventh busiest airport in Australia. The airport is located north of...
, Darwin International Airport
Darwin International Airport
Darwin International Airport is the busiest airport serving the Northern Territory and the tenth busiest airport in Australia. It is the only airport serving Darwin....
and Perth Airport
Perth Airport
Perth Airport is an Australian domestic and international airport serving Perth, the capital and largest city of Western Australia. The airport itself is located in the suburb of Perth Airport....
. It is a major contractor for QantasLink
QantasLink
QantasLink is a regional brand of Australian airline Qantas and is an affiliate member of the Oneworld airline alliance. It is a major competitor to Regional Express Airlines, Virgin Australia and Skywest Airlines. As of September 2010 QantasLink provides 1900 flights each week to 54 domestic and...
.
History
National Jet Systems (NJS) was established in 1989 and started operations on 1 July 1990. It soon commenced scheduled operations on behalf of Australian AirlinesTrans Australia Airlines
Trans Australia Airlines or TAA, was one of the two major Australian domestic airlines between its inception in 1946 and its sale to Qantas in May 1996. During that period TAA played a major part in the development of the Australian air transport industry...
, mainly to tourist destinations in northern Australia, operating a fleet of BAe 146
BAe 146
The British Aerospace 146 is a medium-sized commercial airliner formerly manufactured in the United Kingdom by British Aerospace, later part of BAE Systems. Production ran from 1983 until 2002. Manufacture of an improved version known as the Avro RJ began in 1992...
aircraft under the Airlink brand. After Australian Airlines was taken over by Qantas
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
it continued these operations, and in 2005 commenced operating Boeing 717
Boeing 717
The Boeing 717 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner, developed for the 100-seat market. The airliner was designed and marketed by McDonnell Douglas as the MD-95, a third-generation derivative of the DC-9. Capable of seating of up to 117 passengers, the 717 has maximum range of...
aircraft, the operation being rebranded as QantasLink at the same time. The services on behalf of QantasLink are contracted until 2018. An additional base, located in Brisbane, is expected to be open by early 2012.
Cobham plc
Cobham plc is a British manufacturing company based in Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index...
. NJS has a sister company; National Jet Express, known as Jetex, which conducts scheduled freight services on behalf of Australian air Express
Australian Air Express
Australian air Express is a logistics company based in Melbourne, Australia. It operates freight-only services within Australia using leased Qantas, National Jet Systems, and Pel-Air aircraft and a fleet of land vehicles...
(AaE). Jetex operates three BAe 146 freighters on night freight services to and from curfew-restricted Sydney Airport
Sydney Airport
Sydney Airport may refer to:* Sydney Airport, also known as Kingsford Smith International Airport, in Sydney, Australia* Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport, in Nova Scotia, Canada...
. NJS has a subsidiary, Surveillance Australia
Surveillance Australia
Surveillance Australia Pty Ltd is an Australian aviation company. It is a subsidiary of National Jet Systems, which is ultimately owned by Cobham plc...
, which operates a civilian aerial surveillance program on behalf of the Border Protection Command
Border Protection Command (Australia)
The Australian Government's Border Protection Command is a multi-agency command which was established in 2005 to coordinate the protection of Australia’s offshore assets...
. Another subsidiary company, Fleet Support, formerly operated Learjets configured as target tug
Target tug
A target tug is an aircraft which tows an unmanned drone, a fabric drogue or other kind of target, for the purposes of gun or missile target practice. Target tugs are often conversions of transport and utility aircraft, as well as obsolescent combat types...
s on behalf of the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
until the contract was lost to Pel-Air
Pel-Air
Pel-Air Aviation Pty Ltd is an airline based in Mascot, Sydney, Australia. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Regional Express Holdings, which also owns Australian airlines Regional Express Airlines and Air Link....
in 1996. In early 2009, National Jet rebranded its name to Cobham (known as Cobham Aviation Services Australia or CAvSA) inline with a global Cobham rebranding initiative by its parent company Cobham plc
Cobham plc
Cobham plc is a British manufacturing company based in Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index...
. The company's legal identity as National Jet Express will still remain however the company would trade and operate its aircraft under the name Cobham.
Destinations
Cobham's operations can be broken into four separate branches; it flies some scheduled services on its own behalf, but the majority of its scheduled operations are on behalf of QantasLink and AaE. It also has an extensive charter operation in support of the mining industry.Cobham scheduled services:Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
-
- Ballera (Ballera Airport)
- BrisbaneBrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
(Brisbane AirportBrisbane AirportBrisbane Airport is the sole passenger airport serving Brisbane and the third busiest in Australia, after Melbourne and Sydney Airports. Brisbane Airport has won many awards. Located in the suburb with the same name, the airport serves the city of Brisbane and the surrounding metropolitan area...
) - Cairns (Cairns Airport)South AustraliaSouth AustraliaSouth Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
- AdelaideAdelaideAdelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
(Adelaide Airport) - MoombaMoomba, South AustraliaMoomba is a Santos-owned gas exploration and processing town located in the Cooper and Eromanga Basins, in central Australia, approximately 770 kilometres north of Adelaide....
(Moomba Airport)Western AustraliaWestern AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... - Learmonth (Learmonth Airport)
- PerthPerth, Western AustraliaPerth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
(Perth AirportPerth AirportPerth Airport is an Australian domestic and international airport serving Perth, the capital and largest city of Western Australia. The airport itself is located in the suburb of Perth Airport....
) - Barrow Island
- Murrin Murrin Joint VentureMurrin Murrin Joint VentureThe Murrin Murrin Joint Venture is a major nickel-cobalt mining operation being conducted in the North Eastern Goldfields, approximately 60 km east of Leonora, Western Australia...
(Murrin Murrin) - KambaldaKambalda, Western AustraliaKambalda is a small mining town about 60 kilometres from the mining city of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia, within the Goldfields. It is split into two townsites 4 kilometres apart, Kambalda East and Kambalda West; and is located on the western edge of a giant salt lake, Lake Lefroy...
- Barimunya
- Coondewanna
Domestic scheduled destinations for QantasLink
QantasLink
QantasLink is a regional brand of Australian airline Qantas and is an affiliate member of the Oneworld airline alliance. It is a major competitor to Regional Express Airlines, Virgin Australia and Skywest Airlines. As of September 2010 QantasLink provides 1900 flights each week to 54 domestic and...
:Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
-
- Alice Springs (Alice Springs AirportAlice Springs AirportAlice Springs Airport is a small regional airport 14 kilometres south of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia.The airport has two runways, the largest of which can accommodate a Boeing 747 or 777 landing...
) - DarwinDarwin, Northern TerritoryDarwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
(Darwin International AirportDarwin International AirportDarwin International Airport is the busiest airport serving the Northern Territory and the tenth busiest airport in Australia. It is the only airport serving Darwin....
) - NhulunbuyNhulunbuy, Northern TerritoryNhulunbuy is the name of the township created on the Gove Peninsula in the Northern Territory of Australia when a bauxite mine and deep water port were established nearby in the late 1960s...
(Gove AirportGove AirportAll flights are met by a shuttle bus connecting to Nhulunbuy.- Statistics :Gove Airport was ranked 42nd in Australia for the number of revenue passengers served in financial year 2009-2010....
) - UluruUluruUluru , also known as Ayers Rock, is a large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory, central Australia. It lies south west of the nearest large town, Alice Springs; by road. Kata Tjuta and Uluru are the two major features of the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park....
(Ayers Rock AirportAyers Rock AirportAyers Rock Airport is situated near Yulara, around away from Alice Springs, Northern Territory, and 20 minutes drive from Uluru itself. An average of 400,000 passenger movements per year pass through this airport in the middle of Australia.-History:Connellan Airport was originally started by...
)QueenslandQueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean... - Cairns (Cairns International AirportCairns International AirportCairns Airport is an international airport in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Formerly operated by the Cairns Port Authority, the airport was sold by the Queensland Government in December 2008 to a private consortium. It is the seventh busiest airport in Australia. The airport is located north of...
)South AustraliaSouth AustraliaSouth Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland... - AdelaideAdelaideAdelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
(Adelaide Airport)Western AustraliaWestern AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... - Learmonth (Learmonth Airport)
- PerthPerth, Western AustraliaPerth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
(Perth AirportPerth AirportPerth Airport is an Australian domestic and international airport serving Perth, the capital and largest city of Western Australia. The airport itself is located in the suburb of Perth Airport....
) - KarrathaKarratha, Western Australia-Facilities:A range of hotel, motel, B&B and caravan/RV accommodation is available for visitors. However, as the town is booming, accommodation is often hard to come by.The town has restaurants, a tavern, two hotels and two night clubs...
(Karratha AirportKarratha AirportKarratha Airport is an airport in Karratha, Western Australia. The airport is 14 km from Karratha and 8 km from Dampier. The airport was opened in December 1983, and upgraded in 1998. The Karratha Airport is the second busiest Airport in Western Australia with Perth Airport being the busiest...
) - BroomeBroome, Western AustraliaBroome is a pearling and tourist town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, north of Perth. The year round population is approximately 14,436, growing to more than 45,000 per month during the tourist season...
(Broome Airport) - Port HedlandPort Hedland, Western AustraliaPort Hedland is the highest tonnage port in Australia and largest town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, with a population of approximately 14,000 ....
(Port Hedland Airport) - ParaburdooParaburdoo, Western AustraliaParaburdoo is a town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The name of the town comes from the Aboriginal word for 'white cockatoo'. It is located 1,536 kilometres north of Perth and 79 kilometres southwest of Tom Price. Paraburdoo was developed in the early 1970s to support Hamersley...
(Paraburdoo AirportParaburdoo AirportParaburdoo Airport is an airport serving Paraburdoo, a town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The airport is located northeast of Paraburdoo. It also serves the town of Tom Price, with bus services completing the extra to Tom Price....
) - Kalgoorlie (Kalgoorlie-Boulder AirportKalgoorlie-Boulder AirportKalgoorlie-Boulder Airport is an airport in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. The airport is 7 km from the town center.In November 2007, Skywest Airlines attempted a three times weekly direct service from Kalgoorlie to Melbourne, which failed due to lack of patronage. This service has since been...
) - NewmanNewman, Western AustraliaNewman, located about 1186 km north of Perth and 9 km north of the Tropic of Capricorn, is a town in the Pilbara region. It can be reached by the Great Northern Highway...
(Newman AirportNewman AirportNewman Airport is an airport near Newman, Western Australia. Situated 11 km from the town centre, it is the most ready form of transport between Perth and Newman....
)
- Alice Springs (Alice Springs Airport
Fleet
- 1 Avro RJ70
- 5 Avro RJ100
- 3 BAe 146-100
- 1 BAe 146-100QT (registered to NJS, operated by Jetex on freight services for AaE)
- 3 BAe 146-200
- 3 BAe 146-300
- 2 BAe 146-300QT (registered to NJS, operated by Jetex on freight services for AaE)
- 11 Boeing 717-200Boeing 717The Boeing 717 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner, developed for the 100-seat market. The airliner was designed and marketed by McDonnell Douglas as the MD-95, a third-generation derivative of the DC-9. Capable of seating of up to 117 passengers, the 717 has maximum range of...
(operated by NJS for QantasLink) - 1 de Havilland Canada DHC-8-103
- 1 de Havilland Canada DHC-8-315
See also
- Sir Alan CobhamAlan CobhamSir Alan John Cobham, KBE, AFC was an English aviation pioneer.A member of the Royal Flying Corps in World War I, Alan Cobham became famous as a pioneer of long distance aviation. After the war he became a test pilot for the de Havilland aircraft company, and was the first pilot for the newly...
, who flew from Britain to Australia in August 1926. 60,000 were at Essendon Airport, Melbourne to welcome him.