Ansair was an Australian bus bodybuilder owned by Ansett Transport Industries and later the Clifford Corporation.

Ansair
IndustryBus manufacturing
Founded1945
FounderReg Ansett
DefunctNovember 1998
Headquarters
Number of locations
Kingston
Tamworth
ParentClifford Corporation

History

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Ansair was founded by Reg Ansett in 1945 at Tullamarine, to make bodies for his Ansett Pioneer coaches, as well as manufacture aircraft components for Ansett Airways.[1] It also provided bus bodies for other operators.

In 1987, a plant opened in Kingston, Tasmania, to make bodies for Scania buses used by Metro Tasmania and, in January 1993, a plant opened at East-West Airlines' former Tamworth Airport maintenance facility to make bodies for Scanias used by Sydney Buses.[2][3]

In August 1995, Ansett Transport Industries sold Ansair to the Clifford Corporation.[4] In September 1995, the Kingston plant closed, followed in 1997 by Tullamarine.[5][6] Ansair ceased trading in November 1998 when the Clifford Corporation collapsed.[7]

The Tamworth plant was reopened by Jakab Industries to complete an order of Volvo B10BLEs for Sydney Buses, under the Phoenix Bus brand.[8][9][10]

References

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  1. ^ "New Owners for Ansair", Australian Bus Panorama, October 1995, issue 11/3, page 20
  2. ^ "Airline Quits as Buses Move In", Sydney Morning Herald, 18 September 1991
  3. ^ "Bodybuilders", Fleetline, July 1994, page 128
  4. ^ "Bodybuilders", Fleetline, September 1995, page 159
  5. ^ "Bodybuilders", Fleetline, January 1996, page 20
  6. ^ "New Buses", Fleetline, November 1997, page 203
  7. ^ "The Austral Pacific Collapse", Australian Bus Panorama, April 1999, issue 14/5, page 17
  8. ^ "Austral Pacific Group", Fleetline, May 1999, page 76
  9. ^ "The Austral Pacific Collapse", Australian Bus Panorama, issue 14/5, page 17
  10. ^ "State Transit Authority - Sydney Buses & Newcastle Buses - Volvo B10BLE/Phoenix "Orana"". Australian Bus Fleet Lists. Bus Australia. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
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