First Great Barrier Flights to Kaitaia

Great Barrier Airlines first service from Kaitaia to Auckland took off from Kaitaia at 2.15pm on Wednesday 29 April with the flight, GBA616, being flown by Embraer EMB-820C ZK-RDT.

The first inbound flight to Kaitaia, GBA619, was again flown in Embraer EMB-820C ZK-RDT. One of these wrote on her Facebook page, Today was the first day that the new Great Barrier Airlines service between Kaitaia and Auckland operated and I really enjoyed being on the last flight in tonight. The WAKARERE was a 9 seater with 2 pilots and 4 passengers. Lovely takeoff, flight and landing. Bit bumpy coming in to KAITAIA but way quieter than the Air NZ flights used to be. Tenei taku whakatauki mo tena - Climb high, climb far. Your goal the sky, your aim the star.

Far North Holdings CEO Andy Nock, Mayor John Carter and Great Barrier Airlines General Manager Murray Pope eith Embraer EMB-820C ZK-RDT

Now boarding, Great Barrier Airlines flight 619 to Kaitaia

The Embraer EMB-820C has been flying to Kaitaia each day since then but today, 5 May 2015, Air2there's Cessna 208 Caravan flew an Auckland-Kaitaia-Auckland flight, presumably on a route proving flight. It was captured at Auckland by MRC Aviation. The new logo on the tail, according to the air2there Facebook page, is "guiding the plane on its journey. This design has special significance as it was gifted to us by our local iwi."