Pacific Express Cargo

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Pacific Express Cargo
A Pacific Express Ilyushin Il-76MD
Commenced operationsMarch 1992 (1992-03)
Ceased operations16 September 1993 (1993-09-16)
Hubs
HeadquartersAuckland, New Zealand
Key people
  • Simon Lahav
  • Roger Banks
  • Grant Annals

Pacific Express Cargo was a New Zealand based cargo airline established in 1992. It was founded by the Israeli businessman Simon Lahav, alongside Roger Leslie Banks and Roderick Grant Annals. Banks and Annals had previously operated the shortly lived Southern World Airlines in 1991, operating charter cargo services.

Pacific Express operated leased Il-76 freighter aircraft from Russia and Ukraine, exploiting the turmoil following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The airline did not have a traditional fleet of aircraft, instead leasing aircraft on a tramp trade once a cargo contract had been arranged.[1] It did not have an air operators certificate, exploiting a loophole present with the Civil Aviation Authority.

History

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When the first aircraft arrived in New Zealand, it still contained the Soviet flag on the tail, which would be painted over at Whenuapai Air Base.

In November 1992, Pacific Express took part in the airshow "Air Expo 92" with an Il-76MD registration CCCP-76822.[2] The aircraft, flown by a Russian crew, was also used to transport a Royal Air Force Harrier jump jet to the airshow.[3] It was also accompanied by a Russian Beriev A-40 Albatros flying boat.[4][5][6]

Fleet

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Former Pacific Express Cargo fleet[7][8]
Aircraft Number Introduced Withdrawn Notes
Ilyushin Il-76TD 3 1992 1993
Ilyushin Il-76MD 3 1992 1993
Boeing 737-300 1 1993 1993 5W-FAX leased from Polynesian Airlines.[citation needed]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Aerospace America. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. 1992.
  2. ^ Historical Aviation Film Unit (8 July 2022). Rarely Seen Soviet Aircraft In New Zealand Airspace. Retrieved 8 November 2025 – via YouTube.
  3. ^ Staunton, Margot (19 November 1992). "Amphibian springs surprise". The New Zealand Herald. p. 1.
  4. ^ "NZ Airshows History". www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  5. ^ "Celebrating 50 Years". AIAL | Corporate. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  6. ^ "Ноябрь | 2021 | Алексей Васильевич Олейник, Алексей Олейник, теория лигрилы, ХАИ, Харьковский Авиационный Институт, КВН, кафедра конструкции двигателей, aoleynik" (in Russian). 28 November 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  7. ^ "Pacific Express" (PDF). Aviation Historical Society of New Zealand. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  8. ^ Aircraft & Aerospace. Peter Isaacson Publications Pty. Limited. 1992.
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