Mainland Air's new air service between Oamaru and Christchurch commenced today. The inaugural flight left Oamaru at 7.30am with three passengers under the command of Sven Thelning and Phil Kean in Mainland Air's Piper Pa31-350 Navajo Chieftain ZK-KVW.
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| Arriving into Christchurch this morning, Mainland Air's inaugural air service between Oamaru and Christchurch. |
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Today's Oamaru Mail reported on a meeting yesterday with Mainland Air's owner Philip Kean... Despite no fare-paying passengers being on the flight with less than 24 hours to go, and only one booking for the Friday flight, chief executive officer of Mainland Air Services’ Philip Kean remained optimistic about the Oamaru-Christchurch and return service and said there was plenty of support for it. Mr Kean visited Oamaru Airport yesterday to meet pilot Sven Thelning and to organise the final logistics of today’s flights. This included setting up a computer, organising overnight parking for the plane and discussing flight paths for good and bad weather. (http://www.oamarumail.co.nz/featured/new-air-service-starts/).
The service operates twice daily on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with a return afternoon service being operated on a Sunday afternoon. In Christchurch passengers for Oamaru wait at the domestic departure gate for the flight to arrive from Oamaru and meeting the pilot for the flight south.
For more photos of the first flight see : http://www.odt.co.nz/regions/north-otago/304766/sun-rises-new-mainland-service
For a history on Mainland Air see : http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2010/10/mainland-air-last-airline-to-operate-to.html
For more photos of the first flight see : http://www.odt.co.nz/regions/north-otago/304766/sun-rises-new-mainland-service
For a history on Mainland Air see : http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2010/10/mainland-air-last-airline-to-operate-to.html
Unfortunately for the reporter, there were fare paying passengers on the inugrial flight
ReplyDeleteThat's great news that there were passengers. I hope Mainland Air do really well!
ReplyDeleteIf Mainland Air can pull this off, i reckon this could mean great things for heartland new zealand. All these places who's air services are dropping like flies. Go Mainland Air!, Pave the way! Show em how its done
ReplyDeleteI hope Mainland Air can do it... I wonder if Oamaru-Wellington would have been better - north in the morning, south evening.
ReplyDeleteI hope the good folk in Oamaru support this service. Although I won't be surprised if Air NZ put a 1900 on the same route, undercut Mainland, wait for the little guy to roll over and then cut the service. GO MAINLAND!!
ReplyDeleteI think those days are gone of Air NZ putting the 1900s on marginal routes let alone any route. I would like to see Mainland think about Central Otago again... something like early departure out of Dunedin (landing at Alexandra and Queenstown as or if required) to Wanaka then on to Christchurch. Return in the late afternoon... Gives Alex and Wanaka links to Chch - and all three links to Dunedin
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