NZ Jet added the first two jets to its Part 119 certificate at the end of August 2024, ch-aviation research reveals. Previously, the company offered charter services through Air Ops Jet's Part 119 certificate.
The first aircraft NZ Jet offered for charter was Citation Ultra ZK-XGO (msn 560-0349) in 2022. At 28.4 years old, it primarily operates from its base in Ardmore, NZ. The second jet, 34.2-year-old Citation V ZK-ZGO (msn 560-0067), was announced very recently and, having undergone a full cabin refurbishment, is expected to commence charter operations soon. Both jets can seat up to eight passengers and share a similar background, having originally been US-registered, before being registered in Japan, Australia, and now New Zealand.
This enables NZ Jet to operate private jet charters independently with its fleet of two Cessna Aircraft Company jets. Both were certified under NZ Jet’s Part 119 certificate in the same month. Prior to this, charter services were provided exclusively with the Citation Ultra under Air Ops Jet’s Part 119 certificate.
NZ Jet was established in 2022 by John Ambler, who is also a pilot for the company's Citation jet fleet, and his wife, Anne. They previously acquired Heletranz Helicopters in 2012, which specialises in luxury charters and scenic tours across New Zealand. In early 2020, Heletranz Helicopters merged with Inflite Charters (Auckland International), with the Amblers initially retaining a 25% stake.
According to New Zealand's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Air Jet Ops currently operates a fleet of two aircraft under its own Part 119 certificate, comprising a Citation Sovereign and a Dassault Aviation Falcon 2000(LX).
