22/05/2026
This BAe-146-300 was delivered new to East-West Airlines as VH-EWL in 1990. It was the fourth of eight new 300s delivered and was given the name ‘Leisure Jet’. The full fleet comprised EWI, EWJ, EWK, EWL, EWM, EWN, EWR, and EWS.
For a while, these aircraft comfortably seated 96 passengers in an all-economy configuration, until they were reconfigured (some would say ruined) to accommodate just 10 extra seats, bringing the total to 106. Almost all the seats were replaced with slimmer versions, making the cabin mostly 3-3 across, except for the last few rows.
Some East-West senior management decisions at the time were ‘interesting’: East-West flight attendants wore the East-West uniform on East-West flights, but had to change into the Ansett uniform if the aircraft then operated an Ansett flight.
This meant swapping name badges, wings, kerchiefs, ties, scarves, hatbands, and jackets…a mix of green, followed by a quick change into red and navy.
For example, a flight from HBA to SYD as an East-West service required wearing green uniform pieces, followed by a SYD-OOL-SYD leg on an Ansett flight, which prompted a full costume change between sectors. It was a logistical challenge (red bonkers) that didn’t work out too well.
The period of gradual merger into another airline was an interesting time. Those were the main identity challenges before the Ansett brand was fully introduced and Business Class was added to the BAe-146-300s and F28s, which were repainted in Ansett colours. Several BAe-146-300s were sent to Ansett New Zealand, as they seemed better suited to cooler climates.
VH-EWL was sent to Ansett New Zealand as ZK-NZN in 1997, then to Qantas New Zealand in 2000, and to Mount Cook Airlines (operating for Air New Zealand, wearing the ANZ Pacific Wave livery) from July 2001. It was eventually withdrawn from service, stored at Christchurch, ferried to Melbourne Essendon Airport, parked there, transferred to Tullamarine in 2005, and scrapped in 2007.
Footnote: The registration ZK-NZN was previously used by an Air New Zealand DC-10-30 (built in 1973) that was later leased to Malaysian Airlines in Air NZ ‘Koru’ livery. Today, ZK-NZN is the registration of an Air New Zealand Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
Ansett New Zealand BAe-146-300 ZK-NZN in the Starmark livery at ‘Windy Wellington’ on Tuesday 30 September 1997.
📸 prs1958
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