Tourism Holdings Ltd (coach division) - Auckland 2007-8

This is a historic listing of vehicles owned and operated by Tourism Holdings Ltd (coach division) - Auckland 2007-8.

About THL
Tourism Holdings Limited, usually referred to as 'THL', and formerly known as The Helicopter Line, is a large New Zealand tourism company that has been listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange since 1986. It operated various coach businesses including Airbus Express, Great Sights and Johnston's Coachlines until a sale of assets which began in 2007. THL continues to operate Kiwi Experience.

History of THL's coach businesses
● 1989: THL purchases Mount Cook Landlines as part of the purchase of Mount Cook Group's non-airline assets from Air New Zealand.
● 1993: THL purchases Johnston's Coachlines from Corporate Investments and Mount Cook Landlines is merged with Johnston's. THL purchases Johnston's Blue Motors (airport services) & renames The Airporter, ‘Airbus’.
● 2007/8: THL runs one of the largest tour coach operations in NZ with 140 vehicles operated over this period.
● 08/2007: Johnston's Coachlines business is sold to a new company, Johnston's Coachlines Ltd, initially by way of joint venture with TR Group, which THL subsequently exited from.
● 01/2008: Great Sights business is sold to Intercity Holdings Ltd (now Entrada Travel Group) with fleet sold to franchise operators, Ritchies Transport Holdings Ltd and Tranzit Group Ltd.
● 06/2008: Airbus Express business, fleet and Kiwi Experience fleet is sold to Johnston's Coachlines Ltd, with Kiwi Experience fleet leased back to THL.



Photo credit: Scott Siakia