SOUTH AFRICA

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Transkei Airways Corporation. - (KV/TAK)

Umtata

From early 1995 One-Eleven 500s of Nationwide Air Charter (Pty) Ltd were leased to operate a six times weekly schedule from Johannesburg to Umtata and later a twice daily schedule from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth. The operations were relatively short lived after loads failed to reach expectations.

Nationwide Airlines, (Pty) Ltd. - (CE/NTW)

Johannesburg

Starting out as Nationwide Air Charter (Pty) Ltd, this organisation obtained its first One-Eleven when it obtained the Rolls-Royce Flying Unit combi configured Series 409AY in April 1994.  This was the only Series 400 to be fitted with a large main deck freight door.  The aircraft was later converted into a pure freighter.  In December 1995 the company’s first passenger configured One-Eleven was obtained, a Series 509EW.  This aircraft was followed by a Series 518FG in February 1995, a Series 531FS in May 1995 and finally the three strong fleet of Series 537GFs of Cyprus Airways Ltd in July 1995.  The company commenced operating passenger services with its One-Elevens from Johannesburg to Umtata and Port Elizabeth on behalf of Transkei Airways Corporation in 1995.  In September 1995 the company took over Care Airlines (Pty) Ltd which ran scheduled services between Johannesburg and Margate.  Care Airlines was later renamed Nationwide Airlines (Pty) Ltd and inaugurated scheduled passenger services on the Johannesburg to Cape Town route on 5th December 1995.  Between July 1996 and April 1997 the four strong fleet of Maersk Air Ltd was obtained.  These comprised two Series 408EFs, one Series 401AK and one Series 416EK.  The Series 400s were operated with 75 passenger seats and the Series 500s with 94.  During 1996 additional points were added to the network flown from Johannesburg.  These included East London, George and Port Elizabeth and the airline was marketed as Nationwide Air.  The Series 518FG was stripped out for use as a pure freighter by November 1997.  By early 1997 Durban was an added destination served and the company code shared its flights with SABENA to connect with that operator’s schedules to Europe from Johannesburg and the airline was marketed as Sabena/Nationwide.  SABENA’s flights increased from three per week to daily with effect from March 1999.  TAP – Air Portugal was added as a code share partner with effect from early 1999 while Virgin Atlantic was added in early 2000.  One of the One-Elevens was operated on behalf of Zimbabwe Express Airlines Ltd in May and June 1997.  The airline was once again marketed as Nationwide Airlines when the SABENA contract ended at the end of December 2000 after the airline ceased serving South Africa while the same fate befell the TAP code share during 2001.  By January 2002 only one Series 408EF remained in service with the airline with all the others in storage at Lanseria having been replaced by Boeing 727-100s, 727-200s and later Boeing 737-200s.  The Series 408EF was replaced in service by an overhauled Series 537GF in May 2003 but this too was finally withdrawn in January 2004 and sold in the DRC.  Ad hoc charter work was also performed by the One-Elevens.

Name used on the aircraft:-

ZS-NUI - The Right Whale.

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