Lip-Air Pty Ltd, operating as Aero-Tropics Air Services (ATAS), was an airline based in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Its main base was Cairns Airport, with its operating hub at Horn Island Airport.
History
Lip-Air Pty Ltd was a privately owned company established by the Lippmann family in 1995. The company's Aero Tropics Air Services (ATAS) division started operating air charters in 1997, serving the region of Torres Strait, Cape York and the Gulf of Carpentaria. ATAS obtained a Regular Public Transport licence in February 2000 from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and began operating daily scheduled services to/ from and between the Torres Strait Islands. In March 2007 it had 50 employees. In late June 2008 the airline was grounded for five days by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). As a result, the Queensland Government removed the Government contract for Aero-Tropics delivering mail and some supplies, flying to many remote Cape York towns. The contract was awarded to West Wing Aviation. In October 2008 CASA grounded the airline again after two incidents on successive days prompted concerns about the airline's training and supervision of its pilots.
Incidents and accidents
Fleet
As of July 2008, the Aero-Tropics Air Services (ATAS) fleet consisted of:
- 4 Aero Commander 500S Shrike Commander
- 1 Beechcraft King Air B200
- 6 Britten-Norman BN2A Islander
- 2 Cessna 208B Grand Caravan
At the time of liquidation, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) showed that the airline owned the following aircraft:
- 5 Britten-Norman BN2A Islander
- 2 Aero Commander 500S Shrike Commander
- 2 Piper PA-31 Navajo
- 2 Cessna 208B Grand Caravan
- 1 Cessna 172N
Destinations
As of July 2008, Aero-Tropics Air Services (ATAS) operated scheduled domestic services to the following destinations: