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Skytraders
Skytraders is an Australian airline, headquartered at 180 Jersey Road, Woollahra, New South Wales, Australia. Skytraders was founded in 1979. It is the provider of specialist air services to the Australian Federal Government.
1979 – 1993 Commencing in 1979, Skytraders was contracted for the weekly movement of 40 tonne DC8 loads of chilled lamb and produce to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. With the introduction of 747 freighters, Skytraders pioneered the movement of live cattle by air from Australia. They also developed the 'Skybox', which allows for the transport of fresh carcass beef from abattoirs to end users in Japan without the need for refrigeration. This technology largely attributed to Australia becoming the largest supplier of high-end fresh chilled beef to the Japanese market. By 1990, Skytraders itself had become Australia's largest shipper of export airfreight and was awarded the Austrade Gold Medal by the Australian Federal Government.
1993 – 2002 In a joint-venture with Qantas and DHL, in 1993 Skytraders commenced a nightly express service between Sydney and Auckland that utilised a Boeing 727-100 freighter. The program addressed the need for moving large numbers of thoroughbred bloodstock at the same time as meeting the international express operator's requirement for trans-Tasman close of business pick up and next morning delivery.
2002–Present In 2002, Skytraders was awarded a long-term contract by the Australian Antarctic Division for the provision of a range of Antarctic air services. Since then, the company's role in providing air services to the Commonwealth Government has grown to also include long-term contracts with the Department of Defence (Special Operations Command), the Department of Home Affairs (Australian Border Force), Victorian State Government (Victoria Police), the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, Australian Federal Police, and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. In January 2024, Skytraders started operating regular flights on behalf of Australian based mining services company, Mineral Resources Limited.
According to the Skytraders website, Skytraders have six key service areas including Cold Climate, Surveillance & Survey, Special Missions, Defence, Medevac & Aeromedical, and Executive Transport & Charter. Skytraders operates flights to support the Australian Antarctic Division's scientific research programme in Antarctica, achieving a number of milestones including the first landing by an Airbus on a sea-ice runway, the introduction of the first civilian airline operation to-and-from Eastern Antarctica, and the earliest ever winter medical evacuation from Eastern Antarctica. Skytraders' website also states the company offers charter services to executives and VIPs during the Northern Hemisphere summer.
Under a government contract with the Department of Home Affairs, Skytraders' Airbus A319 fleet have undertaken transfer flights of immigration detainees and asylum seekers across the Australian mainland and offshore locations including Christmas Island and Nauru. In 2012, Skytraders made a request to the global flight tracking organisation, FlightAware, that its detainee and asylum-seeker transportation flights not be tracked publicly.
In 2002, Skytraders was chosen out of 7 tenders to be the official air link to Antarctica. According to the ABC their world-renowned safety systems won them the tender. They operate an Airbus Corporate Jet between Hobart and a hard glacier runway near Casey Station. The service aims to provide 25 flights each summer, with the first flights launching in the summer of 2003–2004. For over 20 years, Skytraders has been the primary provider of air services to the Australian Antarctic Division. Over this time, in conjunction with Government, Skytraders has developed techniques and experience, combined with robust safety systems, that redefine World’s Best Practice in the provision of air transport services in Antarctica.
In 2000, Skytraders responded to an Australian Commonwealth Government 'Call for Registration of Interest' for the design and construction of an Air Transport System for Antarctica. This was followed by a formal 'Request for Proposal' that resulted in Skytraders being awarded a contract for the provision of a range of Antarctic air services under a long-term agreement.
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Skytraders
Skytraders is an Australian airline, headquartered at 180 Jersey Road, Woollahra, New South Wales, Australia. Skytraders was founded in 1979. It is the provider of specialist air services to the Australian Federal Government.
1979 – 1993 Commencing in 1979, Skytraders was contracted for the weekly movement of 40 tonne DC8 loads of chilled lamb and produce to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. With the introduction of 747 freighters, Skytraders pioneered the movement of live cattle by air from Australia. They also developed the 'Skybox', which allows for the transport of fresh carcass beef from abattoirs to end users in Japan without the need for refrigeration. This technology largely attributed to Australia becoming the largest supplier of high-end fresh chilled beef to the Japanese market. By 1990, Skytraders itself had become Australia's largest shipper of export airfreight and was awarded the Austrade Gold Medal by the Australian Federal Government.
1993 – 2002 In a joint-venture with Qantas and DHL, in 1993 Skytraders commenced a nightly express service between Sydney and Auckland that utilised a Boeing 727-100 freighter. The program addressed the need for moving large numbers of thoroughbred bloodstock at the same time as meeting the international express operator's requirement for trans-Tasman close of business pick up and next morning delivery.
2002–Present In 2002, Skytraders was awarded a long-term contract by the Australian Antarctic Division for the provision of a range of Antarctic air services. Since then, the company's role in providing air services to the Commonwealth Government has grown to also include long-term contracts with the Department of Defence (Special Operations Command), the Department of Home Affairs (Australian Border Force), Victorian State Government (Victoria Police), the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, Australian Federal Police, and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. In January 2024, Skytraders started operating regular flights on behalf of Australian based mining services company, Mineral Resources Limited.
According to the Skytraders website, Skytraders have six key service areas including Cold Climate, Surveillance & Survey, Special Missions, Defence, Medevac & Aeromedical, and Executive Transport & Charter. Skytraders operates flights to support the Australian Antarctic Division's scientific research programme in Antarctica, achieving a number of milestones including the first landing by an Airbus on a sea-ice runway, the introduction of the first civilian airline operation to-and-from Eastern Antarctica, and the earliest ever winter medical evacuation from Eastern Antarctica. Skytraders' website also states the company offers charter services to executives and VIPs during the Northern Hemisphere summer.
Under a government contract with the Department of Home Affairs, Skytraders' Airbus A319 fleet have undertaken transfer flights of immigration detainees and asylum seekers across the Australian mainland and offshore locations including Christmas Island and Nauru. In 2012, Skytraders made a request to the global flight tracking organisation, FlightAware, that its detainee and asylum-seeker transportation flights not be tracked publicly.
In 2002, Skytraders was chosen out of 7 tenders to be the official air link to Antarctica. According to the ABC their world-renowned safety systems won them the tender. They operate an Airbus Corporate Jet between Hobart and a hard glacier runway near Casey Station. The service aims to provide 25 flights each summer, with the first flights launching in the summer of 2003–2004. For over 20 years, Skytraders has been the primary provider of air services to the Australian Antarctic Division. Over this time, in conjunction with Government, Skytraders has developed techniques and experience, combined with robust safety systems, that redefine World’s Best Practice in the provision of air transport services in Antarctica.
In 2000, Skytraders responded to an Australian Commonwealth Government 'Call for Registration of Interest' for the design and construction of an Air Transport System for Antarctica. This was followed by a formal 'Request for Proposal' that resulted in Skytraders being awarded a contract for the provision of a range of Antarctic air services under a long-term agreement.