Microflite Group to buy three new aircraft for Par Avion

By Andrew Curran.

Australian aviation business Microflite Group will invest AUD13 million (USD9 million) in three new aircraft for Tasmania’s Par Avion. The Cambridge Airport-based scenic airline will receive two Tecnam P2012 STOLs and a Cessna 206HD, giving its ageing fleet a much-needed injection of new aircraft.

According to Microflite Group, the first Tecnam will be in the air by the end of January 2027. The second P2012 and the Cessna 206HD will follow in mid-2027, in time for Tasmania’s 2027–28 summer season. Par Avion says the aircraft are “built for exactly the kind of flying we do”.

Microflite Group acquired Cambridge Airport (YCBG) in 2024 and Par Avion in 2025, although the acquisitions were not disclosed until mid-2026. Both assets were controlled by the Hobart-based Wells family, which had operated a flight training school at Cambridge in recent years and run scenic flights over Tasmania’s south-west wilderness under the Par Avion brand.

Moorabbin Airport (MBW)-based Microflite Group, which ultimately controls around 30 aircraft engaged in a variety of operations from bases around Australia, said at the time that it wanted to keep Cambridge Airport open to support its business interests. The company also acknowledged the need to source new aircraft for Par Avion, which was operating Cessna 404s and Britten-Norman Islanders when it was sold.

“People have been flying from Hobart into (Tasmania’s) south-west for more than 40 years, and we want that to continue for the next 40,” said Microflite Group CEO Rodney Higgins this week.

The 11-seat Tecnam aircraft and the Cessna 206HD will be able to land at Melaleuca Airstrip (YBHB) in the South West National Park, which is the jumping-off point for access to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Tasmanian Wilderness.

Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority records show that no entity associated with Microflite Group has yet registered the aircraft.

Photo: AI-Generated.
Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com