"New air service takes off" - so reads the headline in the Greymouth Evening Stat on the 11th of July 2011. Vincent Aviation are offering flights from Greymouth to Wellington on a Monday and from Wellington to Greymouth on a Friday while the Pike River Royal Commission is in session using either their Jetstream or Dash 8 aircraft. One presumes the southbound Monday flight and the northbound Friday flight are chartered for those involved with the Royal Commission.
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| Greymouth Evening Star, 8 July 2011 |
The caption of the photograph of the first flight, however, noted that "depending on demand, further flights will be scheduled." Meanwhile the Friday flight had to operate out of Hokitika, the Jetstream not being able to lift the number of passengers off Greymouth's runway. Subsequent adverts offered a school holiday return fare of $300.
Meanwhile, speaking of the Royal Commission, my Hokitika spies tell me Air Nelson canned their Q300 flight into Hokitika for both Mondays the Inquiry has been on meaning road transport for a lot of people trying to get to the Coast for the Inquiry. It seems to me when there is only morning flight to a destination like Hokitika would it not be better to can a flight to Nelson for example... its easier to move passengers by air to Nelson. If Air NZ Link wants bums on seats out of the smaller ports they need to be seen to offer a consistent service which looks at options before being quick to cancel leaving people with a load drive and shattered arrangements.
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| Vincent's Jetstream 31 ZK-JSH at Greymouth on the first flight of its new "service" on the 11th of July 2011. Photo : Greymouth Evening Star |
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