Tasmanian Air Adventures Voluntarily Placed In Liquidation

A seaplane company that had become something of a fixture on the Hobart, Tasmania waterfront in Australia has taken its last flight. Tasmanian Air Adventures voluntarily entered liquidation, according to the UKYMF Group Pty Ltd, which ran the seaplane operation. The company's employees have been advised of the development, and all flight operations have ceased, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

The company had flown charter and scenic flights from the River Derwent. Company director Tim Robertson said the decision was made primarily because "the cost of a start-up was so significant for two fairly average employees who had aspirations of a great business and we've carried that pretty much for the last three years."

Robertson said the company was "very close" to becoming sustainable and making a profit, but the oncoming winter season was already taking a financial toll on the operation.

The company, which was established in 2011, had won a Tasmanian Tourism Award last year, and had recently purchased a second aircraft to meet demand.

Luke Martin of the Tourism Council said that liquidation does not mean that the business has to go completely away. "[H]opefully someone comes in and sees an opportunity and can develop a business model that gets the plane flying around the state's airs again," he said.

FMI: www.discovertasmania.com.au