Cairns-based Air Pursuit quietly builds Dash 8 portfolio

By Andrew Curran.

Cairns-based aviation consultancy Air Pursuit has been quietly acquiring airframes to break down for parts, convert into freighters, or resell on the used aircraft market.

Earlier this month, Air Pursuit posted on LinkedIn that it had just acquired its fifth aircraft – a DHC-8-100 (msn 004) registered as VH-QQB. They didn’t have to travel far to pick up the plane, having purchased it from Skytrans, also based at Cairns Airport (CNS).

“This becomes the 5th Aircraft to be purchased by Air Pursuit,” the post reads.

Six months ago, also on LinkedIn, Air Pursuit said it had signed a letter of intent to buy three Dash 8 aircraft. The accompanying image shows three Dash 8s parked in snowy conditions at an unidentified airport.

This month’s post also references another DHC-8-100 by its manufacturer’s serial number.

“We are currently in the process of tearing down msn 065 in North Bay after purchasing this aircraft from Voyageur,” the post said.

That almost 40-year-old aircraft was last registered as C-GCTC. It was acquired by Voyageur in 2021. Before that, it was operated by Jazz Aviation for Air Canada Express.

Mapping the LinkedIn posts, most of which are callouts to acquire or sell aircraft and aircraft parts, it appears the five aircraft mentioned are VH-QQB, C-GCTC and the three unidentified aircraft mentioned in the earlier post.

Aero South Pacific has approached Air Pursuit for clarification.

Skytrans personnel behind Air Pursuit

On its website, Air Pursuit is described as an “expert aviation consultancy focused on helping operators meet compliance requirements and optimise their operations.”

“We aren't boardroom theorists; we are seasoned professionals who know aircraft, understand the regulations cold, and operate with quiet, decisive authority.”

Australian Securities and Investments Commission records show that the controlling entity, Air Pursuit Pty Ltd, was founded seven years ago and has two directors, Adrian Smith and Fabian Renne. Both are based in the Cairns area. Ownership of Air Pursuit Pty Ltd is evenly divided between the two men through other business entities.

According to Smith’s LinkedIn profile, he is the managing director of Air Pursuit, a role he maintains alongside acting as Engineering General Manager for Skytrans. Before that, he had stints at PNG Air and Maroomba Airlines – the classic CV of a Cairns-based aviation professional.

Fabian Renne also works for Skytrans as its Vendor Liaison Manager and Airworthiness Officer. His LinkedIn profile does not disclose any formal role at Air Pursuit.

Meanwhile, at around the time it disposed of VH-QQB, Skytrans acquired a substitute aircraft from PNG Air (which ceased operating Dash 8 aircraft earlier this year).

P2-MCT (msn 135) ferried from Port Moresby (POM) to Cairns (CNS) on July 21. It has since been re-registered as VH-QQU, with the registration holder being Wild Aviation Services Pty Ltd and the registered operator being Skytrans Australia.

Photo: De Havilland Canada
Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com