Originair - The New Cook Strait Carrier

UPDATED May 2026

When Air New Zealand announced its intention to withdraw from the Nelson to Palmerston North in late 2015 Robert Inglis started a process of due diligence to look at operating an air service on the route. This led to the establishment of Origin Air Ltd in March 2015. In June 2015 the company announced its intention to fly scheduled services on the Nelson-Palmerston North and Nelson-Wellington routes. Robert Inglis said, "We have been working hard since December to be ready to fly between Nelson and Palmerston North by the 12th of August 2015." 

Robert Inglis described Originair’s move as 'modest.' "This isn't Ben Hur, it's a very small operation. We own the equipment, we're not exposed to a lot of risk with exchange rates, we have operated this route and know it well.  Hopefully we're just offering Nelson people another choice." Originair's standard fares for Nelson-Wellington range $129 to $257 for a flexi fully refundable fare, and for Nelson Palmerston North from $169 to $289. 

In preparation for the service Originair opened a head office in central Nelson in June 2015 and the airline announced plans to employ up to 20 staff in Nelson and Palmerston North. Mike Curry has been employed as general manager and Shawn Hansen as Customer Service Manager. A new check-in facility and two counters were opened in the Nelson Airport terminal shortly before services commenced.

The company also undertook a major refurbishment of British Aerospace Jetstream 31 ZK-JSH (c/n 838) that is owned by Inglis Aircraft Ltd. This has included a repaint in “grey and citrus.” Originair gave Nelson-based National Aircraft Interiors the contract to custom design the seats and parts of the interior of the aircraft along with RepairCraft who perform line maintenance on the fleet.

Originair's spectacular looking BAe Jetstream 31, ZK-JSH, at Wellington on 30 July 2015

The interior of ZK-JSH

Because of the small scale of the operation Originair has contracted Air Freight NZ Ltd to carry out flight operations including air crew while Fieldair Engineering Ltd (Fieldair) are carrying out the fleet maintenance.  

Originair commenced daily return services between Nelson and Palmerston North on the 12th of August 2015 with ZK-JSH operating the first flight to Palmerston North, OGN101, and the return flight to Nelson OGN102. On the flight deck were Captain Dion McMillan and First Officer Richard Fraser. The first flight was greeted at Palmerston North with a water cannon salute by the Airport Fire Service. Passengers were greeted Palmerston North Mayor Grant Smith and Palmerston North Airport chief executive David Lanham.

The first flight, Originair 101, arrives at Palmerston North. More photos and reporting at
http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/71042798/originair-lands-in-palmerston-north

While initially twice daily weekday flights were planned the service began with twice daily return flights offered on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with a return service being operated on Sundays. The company hopes to increase to a six day a week service on the route over the summer.

The first Nelson to Wellington return service was operated on Sunday the 13th of September 2015 with BAe Jetstream 31 ZK-JSH operating OGN 203 into Wellington arriving into the capital at 2.13pm. The return flight OGN204 left Wellington at 3.00pm. In the week that followed BAe Jetstream 32 ZK-ECI entered service with Originair. Originally twice daily weekday return flights were planned with a single return service on Saturdays and Sundays, however, the revised schedule saw twice daily return flights on Mondays and Fridays with a single return flight on Wednesdays and Sundays. A return Saturday flight began in November.

Timetable downloaded from the Originair website, 8 August 2015

For a pictorial review of an Originair flight see:

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2015/11/og-2202-wellington-to-nelson.html

British Aerospace 32 Jetstream ZK-ECI on the taxi at Nelson for an Originair flight to Palmerston North on 24 January 2018

From the 1st of February 2016 Originair suddenly ceased operating its Jetstreams and Inflite Charters were contracted to operate Originair's services using Fairchild Metroliners. There was a lot of speculation as to the reason for this change but the Civil Aviation Authority were certainly involved.

On 30 March 2016 Originair ceased flying with the last flights being flown between Nelson and Palmerston North before the Inflite Metroliner positioned back to Auckland. The company's website showed all Nelson-Wellington and Nelson-Palmerston North flights as "unavailable" or "fully booked" but reservations being available on a restricted timetable from mid-June.  Robert Inglis was reported as saying Originair expected imminent advice that the one or two issues with the CAA had been sorted out and it would begin flying again.

Originair remained grounded for some months before they resumed services on the 23rd of September 2016 using air2there aircraft. In the months following air2there operated the four times weekly direct service between Nelson and Palmerston North with Piper Chieftains and the Cessna Grand Caravan being used.

Originair resumed Jetstream operations on the 30th of June 2017 with BAe Jetstream 31 ZK-JSH operating the Friday afternoon flights, OGN 3215/3216 from Nelson to Palmerston North and return, using the callsign AIR2THERE 7.

The airline inaugurated a new route between Nelson and New Plymouth on the 29th of September 2017. The first flight was operated by BAe Jetstream 31 ZK-JSH under the command of Captain Warwick Wild. The airline operates four flights a week between the two centres in addition to its four flights a week between Nelson and Palmerston North. After the first week of operations Originair chief executive Robert Inglis said the new service was performing to expectations. "It will take two to three months to get consistent support but at the moment it is performing well." 

The first flight at New Plymouth on 29 September 2017. Photo Source : Originair Facebook Page

The New Plymouth schedule

On the 28th of September 2018 Originair commenced new services between New Plymouth and Napier. When announcing the New Plymouth to Napier route Robert Inglis had said, “The airline has been asked to operate this direct service since we commenced operations to New Plymouth last September.” The first service was operated using Air Chathams Metro 23 ZK-POF after air2there, the operator of Originair's Jetstreams, was grounded.

The service operated on Friday and Sunday afternoons to allow weekend travelers an easy option when visiting the Hawke’s Bay region. Flights operated on Fridays and Sundays as follows;

Depart New Plymouth: 2:10pm - Arrive Napier: 3:00pm
Depart Napier: 4:00pm - Arrive New Plymouth: 4:50pm

On the 1st of October 2018 Originair were to introduce direct return flights from Palmerston North to Napier each Monday and Wednesday. In announcing the flights the airlines' Marketing Manager, Holly Parata, said “With the Manawatu Gorge road now closed and the Saddle Hill road construction likely to cause travel delays in the next few years, a range of travelers will find this service beneficial. These flights will offer business travelers a Monday morning flight to and from Napier and over five hours in the Hawke’s Bay region each Wednesday with a 9:40am departure, returning to Palmerston North at 4:30pm. Flights were to operate as follows;

On Mondays
Depart Palmerston North : 9:40am - Arrive Napier: 10:20am
Depart Napier: 11:10am - Arrive Palmerston North: 11:50am

On Wednesdays
Depart Palmerston North: 9:40am - Arrive Napier: 10:20am
Depart Napier: 4:00pm - Arrive Palmerston North: 4:40pm

The flights between Palmerston and Napier never commenced due to the grounding of air2there.

After the opening of the Napier service, and with air2there, the operator of Originair's Jetstreams grounded, the company chartered Air Wanganui and Skyline Aviation to maintain their schedules. Air Wanganui's Beech Super King Air, ZK-MDC, was the aircraft primarily used for the services. However, Air Wanganui's Beech King Air ZK-MKG was also been used along with Skyline Aviation's Cessna 510 Mustang ZK-YDZ and Beech Super King Air ZK-MFT.

Air2there's grounding created further problems for Originair and it flew, what was to be its last flights for some months on the weekend of the 30 November-3 December 2018. The company's website showed reservations for services that were going to start on 19th of December 2018, the 22nd of February 2019, the 22nd of March, the 12th of April, none of which happened and then Jetstream services from the 1st of May. Easter services were operated between Nelson and Palmerston North, New Plymouth and Wanganui on the 18th and 22nd of April using Air Wanganui's Beech Super King Air ZK-MDC. Further flights were operated in September and October 2019, again by ZK-MDC.

With their operator grounded Originair then started the long task of gaining its own Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

After a year of not operating regular services, Originair resumed scheduled operations on the 29th of November 2019. BAe Jetstream 31 ZK-JSH operated flight OG3215 from Nelson to Palmerston North and from Palmerston North to Nelson. The company also announced it would recommence New Plymouth and Napier services once the new terminals were complete and new ground handlers had been found for their flights. Previously Swissport, which handled the Jetstar services, serviced the Originair flights.

In a press release on the 29th of November 2019 Originair announced that This week the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand issued a Part 125 Air Operator’s Certificate to Nelson-based airline Originair. “We are very pleased to receive our Air Operator’s Certificate as this provides a sound foundation for our future and security for our customers,” said Originair’s CEO Robert Inglis. “Since 2015 we have operated our services through contracted arrangements with other AOC holders however it’s now time to base the next phase of operational development on our own Air Operator’s Certificate. Originair will operate its own Jetstream aircraft independently from 29 November 2019.”

Timetable, effective 29 November 2019 with four flights a week offered between Nelson and Palmerston North

On the 16th of January 2020, following the withdrawal of Jetstar from Nelson, Originair announced it would recommence flights between Nelson and Wellington in response to passenger. The airline had flown this route in 2015-16 but had pulled out after Jetstar had introduced Nelson to Wellington flights.  In announcing the flights Originair’s CEO Robert Inglis said, “Our customers have been asking us to consider a Nelson-Wellington route and we’re really pleased to be able to respond to that interest. We’re not offering an extensive schedule at the outset but we hope that it will provide extra capacity at times that are most useful to travellers on that route,” says Inglis. The announcement of the Nelson-Wellington route comes after very consistent and encouraging demand for seats on the airline’s newly-resumed Nelson-Palmerston North service. “We are very happy with the way that the reintroduction of our Palmerston North service has been going,” says Inglis. “Demand has been solid and that gives us additional confidence to grow our service offering.”

Originair's BAe Jetstream 31 ZK-JSH landing at Nelson on a flight from Wellington on 16 March 2020

The Nelson-Wellington flights resumed on the 14th of February when BAe Jetstream 31 ZK-JSH operated flight OG5216 from Nelson to Wellington and the return flight OG5217. The Originair schedule from the 14th of February shows four return flights from Nelson to Palmerston North each week and five return flights from Nelson to Wellington.

Originair's timetable with the new flights effective 14 February 2020

The Covid pandemic of 2020 meant the grounding of Originair's scheduled services from the 24th of March 2020. Originair did operate charter flights during the lockdown period, primarily carrying essential workers who had been cleared to fly for essential service requirements, with the 18-seat Jetstream aircraft "proving to be very suitable" for carrying bubble-sized groups. The airline managed to retain all of its staff (equivalent to about 14 full-time jobs) throughout the lockdown, with the help of the Government wage subsidy. "We have been fortunate to have the Government wage subsidy. We’re not a large operator, and we’ve had alternate business that we’ve been able to carry out to support the operation." Originair resumed their flight schedule on the Nelson–Palmerston North and Nelson–Wellington routes on the 29th of 2020. In announcing the resumption of services Robert Inglis said The schedule is almost identical to what was on offer prior to lockdown – we are offering four flights per day, on four days each week. We have ‘winterised’ the schedule slightly so that the last flights on each day arrive a little earlier as we know people like to get home earlier during the colder months... In a gesture of solidarity with those who impacted by the economic downturn he said, We understand that these are incredibly difficult times for many New Zealanders and that many people are currently facing hardship due to unemployment and food insecurity. We believe that every business needs to do its bit in whatever way it can, so we will be donating passenger fare revenues generated from the first week of our resumed flights commencing 29 May, to the Salvation Army, which will use the money to support its food banks in Nelson Tasman, Palmerston North and Wellington. 

On the 23rd of July 2020 BAe Jetstream 32 TF-ORG arrived in Auckland from Iceland on delivery to Originair. The Jetstream underwent refurbishment and repainting in Originair colours at Fieldair in Palmerston North and entered service as ZK-JSK on the 4th of October 2020 flying flight OGN524 from Nelson to Wellington and the return service OGN525. Meanwhile, on the 7th of August 2020 BAe Jetstream 32s ZK-ECI and ZK-ECJ were registered to Originair. Both aircraft had previously been registered to air2there. ZK-ECI had previously operated for Originair and was in the airline's full colour scheme. These decals have subsequently been removed. ZK-ECJ remained in Inflite Charter colours and been in storage for some years.  

The Icelandic BAe Jetstream 32 ZK-JSK at Hamilton on 19 October 2020

On the 8th of September 2020 Originair announced that it would offer direct weekday services between Palmerston North and Hamilton. The airline said the Palmerston North – Hamilton services would depart Palmerston North for Hamilton at 10:50am and depart Hamilton for Palmerston North at 1pm.  The airline also announced an increase in their Nelson – Palmerston North services from four to seven return flights per week, with daily return services available Monday to Thursday, and on Sundays, as well as two return services on Fridays. Later Air New Zealand announced it would not resume its flights between Hamilton and Palmerston North which had ceased with lockdown on the 24th of March 2020.

Originair commenced its flights between Palmerston North and Hamilton on the 19th of October 2020  with BAe Jetstream 32 ZK-JSK, under the command of Captain Murray Vincent and First Officer Josh Hutchison, flying the first of its weekday services, OGN 419 from Palmerston North to Hamilton and the return service OGN 426. 

Originair's BAe Jetstream 32 ZK-JSK arrives at Hamilton on the inaugural flight from Palmerston North on 19 October 2020

The new schedule, effective the 19th of October, uses both of Originair's Jetstream aircraft.

Originair's timetable effective 19 October 2020

In early December 2021 Originair announced that they were adding a further Jetstream 32 to their fleet so as to increase their schedule leading to twice daily flights between Nelson and Palmerston North as well as Hamilton and Palmerston North. The airline also announced the introduction of a new direct flight from Hamilton to Nelson on a Friday evening and a direct return flight from Nelson to Hamilton on a Sunday afternoon.

The first phase of doubling the flights began on the 14th of February 2021 when BAe Jetstream 32 ZK-JSK operated Originair's first direct flight from Nelson to Hamilton as OGN235. The first morning Hamilton to Palmerston North service, which operated on Mondays only, OGN 412, was operated the following morning. A Friday only evening service from Palmerston North to Hamilton and then the first weekly direct service from Hamilton to Nelson, OGN232, operated on Friday the 19th of February.  

 Originair's morning flight to Palmerston North operated by BAe Jetstream 32 ZK-JSK departing Hamilton on 22 February 2021. 

On the 25th of March 2021 British Aerospace Jetstream 32 ZK-ECJ, which had been in storage at Paraparaumu was flown to Fieldair Engineering in Palmerston North to be prepared for service as Originair's third Jetstream. It was reregistered ZK-JSJ of the 15th of April 2021.

A second phase began from the 1st of May 2021 with more flights being operated on the Nelson-Palmerston North-Hamilton route. The new schedule saw 9 flights per week between Nelson and Palmerston North, 8 flights per week between Palmerston North and Hamilton, 2 flights per week between Nelson and Wellington and 1 flight per week between Nelson and Hamilton. 

Originair's schedule effective 1 May 2021

 

Originair took delivery of their third BAe Jetstream ZK-JSJ on the 11th of June 2021 with it entering into service on the 14th operating ORIGIN 335 from Palmerston North to Nelson and the return service ORIGIN 332.

Originair's third BAe Jetstream 32 ZK-JSJ at Nelson on 12 June 2021

On the 17th of September Originair planned to return to Napier offering two direct flights each week between Nelson and Napier on Fridays and Sundays with the Friday service continuing on to Hamilton. In addition to these flights, on Mondays and Wednesdays the airline was to operate Palmerston North-Napier-Hamilton return flights as well as offering additional flights on the Hamilton-Palmerston North-Nelson route. These plans were thwarted with the nationwide lockdown that started on the 18th of August 2021.

Originair resumed flights to Napier on the 22nd of October 2021 with British Aerospace Jetstream 32 ZK-JSJ flying from Nelson to Napier as ORIGIN 621 and the return flight ORIGIN 654. These flights operated on Fridays and Sundays. Originair commenced Palmerston North-Napier services on the 26th of October. British Aerospace Jetstream 32 ZK-JSJ flew the inaugural flight ORIGIN 861 and the ORIGIN 868 from Napier to Palmerston North.  is due to depart at 3.00pm. The Napier-Hamilton service was also due to start on this day but with Hamilton being at Level 3 this service did not commence until later in the year. 

Hamilton's Originair services resumed on the 5th of December 2021 with  BAe Jetstream 32 ZK-JSK operating OG 265 from Nelson to Hamilton. The following morning, the 6th of December 2021, the First Officer on flight 442 from Hamilton to Palmerston North told the 17 passengers on board "We're so happy to be back." 

Originair BAe Jestreams at Palmerston North on 6 December 2021... ZK-JSJ arrives from Nelson while ZK-JSK departs for Nelson

Later that morning, after being twice been delayed by Covid lockdowns and without any fanfare, Originair, finally commenced their Napier-Hamilton air service. The inaugural flight, OG721, was flown under the command of Captain Murray Vincent and First Officer Jan Meyer in BAe Jetstream 32 ZK-JSJ. 

OG 721 boarding at Napier on 6 December 2021

The Napier services were shortlived with the Omircon outbreak which forced Originair to reduce its schedules. Flights to and from Nelson and Palmerston North and Hamilton and Palmerston North operated at reduced frequencies while the services to and from Napier were suspended until the Omicron outbreak passed.

As schedules resumed the Hamilton-Palmerston North service was reduced to a thrice weekly service. Originair's northbound flights operated from Palmerston North to Hamilton on Mondays departing at 8.10am, Wednesdays at 10.20am and Fridays at 2.30pm. Southbound flights operated from Hamilton to Palmerston North on Mondays departing at 9.30am, Wednesdays at 12.20pm and Fridays at 4.20pm.  The service precludes same day return business traffic.

In late 2022 the main road between Nelson and Blenheim was cut and out for several weeks. Originair responded to an initiative by Nelson’s Mayor, Nick Smith, and an approach from Nelson Hospital, by scheduling Nelson to Blenheim flights to assist travellers during the road closure. Flights operated twice daily, morning and evening from the 1st of November 2022. Flights departed Nelson for Blenheim at 7.40am and 4.00pm. The return flights from Blenheim departed at 8.40am and 5.00pm. The flight time was approximately 20 minutes with a standard one-way fare of $89 or $99 for a flexi changeable or refundable fare.  These flights operated for seven weeks.

From the 7th of February 2023 Originair increased weekly flights between Nelson and Palmerston North going from 7 flights a week to 10 flights a week departing Nelson on Mondays at 9:00am, Tuesdays, at 3.40pm, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9:00am and 3.40pm, Fridays at 1:00pm and 3:30pm and Sundays at 12:30pm and 3:40pm. The return flights departed Palmerston North on Mondays at 10:30am and 2:00pm, Tuesdays at 5:00pm, Wednesdays at 1:50pm and 5:00pm, Thursdays at 10:20am and 5.00pm, Fridays at 5:40pm and Sundays at 4:20pm and 5:20pm.

The airline has also announced further Friday and Sunday flights between Nelson and Hamilton and the addition of prime time Hamilton to Palmerston North flights on Mondays and Fridays. The Hamilton-Palmerston North flights went from 3 to 4 flights a week departing Hamilton on Mondays at 8.30am and 12:30pm, Wednesdays at 12:20pm and Fridays at 4.10pm. The return flights left Palmerston North on Mondays at 10:10am, Wednesdays at 10:20am and Fridays at 2:20pm and 4:50pm. On Mondays there was a direct Nelson-Hamilton flight leaving at 7.00am and on Fridays a direct Hamilton-Nelson flight departing at 6.10pm.

Nelson to Napier return flights were also be operated on Fridays and Sundays to make weekends away in Hawke's Bay and Nelson easier with well-timed flights on these key days. On Sundays there was a Nelson-Palmerston North-Napier service departing Nelson at 12.30pm and and the return departing Napier at 3.10pm. On Fridays direct flights between Nelson and Napier depart Nelson at 12.20pm and Napier at 2.00pm.

The airline has also extended its six day per week summer return flight schedule between Nelson and Wellington for the next quarter's high season travel period. Flights on this sector went from 2 flights a week to 6 departing Nelson on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 12:30pm, Fridays  at 4:10pm and Sundays at 1:20pm. The return flights departed Wellington Monday to Thursday at 1:40pm, Fridays at 5:20pm and Sundays at 2:30pm.

On the 13th and 14th of February 2023 Cyclone Gabrielle decimated the Hawkes Bay and this impacted on Originair's service to Napier. Following the cyclone the service operated sporadically and on the 10th of April 2023 BAe Jetstream 31 ZK-JSH operated Originair's last flights to Napier, OGN 814 from Palmerston North to Napier and the return OGN 815.

About the same time Originair also included Wellington in some of its Nelson-Palmerston North services. On Monday and Wednesday mornings a Jetstream operated Nelson-Wellington-Palmerston North in the mornings. On Monday and Tuesday afternoons a Jetstream operated Palmerston North-Wellington-Nelson in the afternoons. This effectively added additional seats between Nelson and Palmerston North and filled flights to Wellington that might not be so full. These services did not last long.

Originair's BAe Jetstream 32 ZK-JSK arriving into Hamilton from Palmerston North on 22 May 2023

From the 9th of February 2024 Originair ramped up their Wellington flights to twice daily, Sunday to Friday. The airline also expanded their services between Nelson and Palmerston North with double daily flights between the two centres on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. Hamilton remained served from Palmerston North three times a week. 

Originair timetable effective 9 February 2024

Originair's BAe Jetstream 32 ZK-JSK at Wellington on 7 October 2024

On the 18th of October 2024 Originair announced that it would replace Sounds Air on the Wellington-Westport route after Sounds Air withdraws its service on the 31st of December. Originair said it would six flights from the 3rd of January 2024. Tania Armstrong, Originair’s customer service manager, said the airline will provide more than 11,200 seats annually. “Morning flights will connect Westport with Wellington from Monday to Thursday, while afternoon services on Fridays and Sundays will cater to leisure travellers, aiming to grow the weekend market between both destinations. These weekend flights alone will offer over 3700 seats per year.” CEO Robert Inglis added that depending on passenger demand, the airline could include connections to Nelson in the future. 

A further announcement followed on the 21st of December 2024 that Originair would start flying from Wellington to Taupō from the 17th of February 2025 with Sounds Air announcing it would withdraw from the route from the 31st of December 2024. Originair said it would initially operate three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays on a six-month trial basis. If it’s a success it will increase to six days. Managing director Robert Inglis said the airline aims “to operate a reliable, sustainable service that can grow with demand”. Wayne Wootton from Taupō Airport welcomed the move saying “growing regional connectivity is critical to the economic and social wellbeing of regional communities and this is a perfect example of working together to achieve common goals.” Taupō mayor David Trewavas added: “I look forward to giving them a warm Taupō welcome and I am sure that the direct link to Wellington will prove very popular with the people of Taupō who need to get to the capital for work or play – and for Wellingtonians who want to enjoy a good hot summer!" 

On the 3rd of January 2025 Originair commenced operating the Wellington to Westport route. The first flights, OG 653 from Wellington to Westport and the return flight OG 654, were operated in BAe Jetstream 32 ZK-JSK under command of Captain Sarah Twisleton and First Officer Jason Salo. Some 100 people gathered at Westport airport to welcome their new airline.

Originair's BAe Jetstream 32 ZK-JSK at a wet Westport on the first day of services to the Buller on 3 January 2025 

 The flight crew for the first flight, Captain Sarah Twisleton First Officer Jason Salo

The following month, on the 17th of February 2025, Originair commenced its new Wellington-Taupō service with the inaugural flights, OGN732 from Welllington and the return OGN733 being operated in British Aerospace Jetstream 32 ZK-JSJ under the command of Captain Damien King and First Officer Jason Salo. The service operated thrice weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays as part of a three month trial. 

Originair's British Aerospace Jetstream 32 ZK-JSJ arriving on to the gate at Taupō with the inaugural service on 17 February 2025. Photo : Stuff

At the time of the launch Originair's managing director Robert Inglis told Radio New Zealand he was excited about the new connections. "We've had extensive discussions with the mayor and council chief executive," he said. "They've been very supportive. They very much want the service to continue." Meanwhile Stuff reported Originair’s head of marketing, Rachel Moffitt, saying, “This inaugural flight marks a significant milestone for Originair, as the second new service launched this year. The positive reception from local businesses and residents at the launch event is a testament to the strength of the community here and the potential for this route to thrive.”Taupō Mayor David Trewavas welcomed the airline: “What a wonderful relationship we have so far, and you know, it’s the old story, we need to use it to make it viable and I hope that you do.”

Unfortunately for Originair the new air services did not pan out. In May 2025 the Westport service was reduced from six flights a week to four with the cancellation of the Tuesday and Thursday flights. The last one of these flights operated was on the 13th of May 2025 when BAe Jetstream 31 ZK-JSH operated the Tuesday flights to Westport, ORIGIN 641 and the return ORIGIN 642.

The three month trial of the Taupō service was not successful and these flights ended on the 26th of May 2025. Originair's final flights, ORIGIN 710 to Taupō and the return flight to Wellington ORIGIN 711, were flown by British Aerospace Jetstream 32 ZK-JSK. Taupō District Mayor David Trewavas told Stuff Travel it was unfortunate that the airline could not make it work. “We thank them for giving it a go but, unfortunately, the forward bookings just didn't stack up for what they needed for their business.” In another Stuff article the mayor said The three return flights each week were mainly used by people like the Department of Conservation, Contact Energy and Corrections. The mayor hoped Originair's axing of the route won't be the end of direct flights to the capital and said the council was actively looking at other options. "We're just going to have to find another operator to take care of that route now."

On the 26th of September 2025, Originair withdrew its service between Hamilton and Palmerston North with company BAe Jetstream 32 ZK-JSK operating the final flights, OGN 408 from Palmerston North to Hamilton and the return OGN 409 from Hamilton to Palmerston North. Originair CEO Robert Inglis had earlier said the weak New Zealand economy and rising costs for airlines driving high airfares were behind the decision. He said the price of air travel was prompting holidaymakers to use State Highway 1 instead of flying between the two cities. Businesses with restricted travel budgets are predominantly now using e-meetings instead of travelling for face-to-face meetings.” 

Originair's BAe Jetstream 32 ZK-JSJ about to depart Wellington for Westport on 8 September 2025

Originair commenced operating flights between Blenheim and Christchurch on the 19th of October 2025. The first flights, OGN 109 from Blenheim to Christchurch and the return OGN 110 from Christchurch to Blenheim were operated in British Aerospace Jetstream 32 ZK-JSK. Nine flights per week were initially offered.

The new schedules from Blenheim effective 19 October 2025

The following day, the 20th of October 2025, Originair commenced twice weekly, direct flights between Blenheim and Palmerston North on Mondays and Fridays. The first flights, OGN 201 from Palmerston North to Blenheim and the return, OGN 202 from Blenheim to Palmerston North were operated in British Aerospace Jetstream 31 ZK-JSH. 

Originair told RNZ that it anticipates demand for its new service between Blenheim and Palmerston North will be driven by business from nearby military bases. Managing director Robert Inglis said the new service to Palmerston North would suit those currently driving to Nelson for a direct flight. "If Nelson-Palmerston is anything to go by, it's certainly been a high percentage of people visiting friends and family," he said. "Certainly more of a leisure market than a business market." Passengers would find it more convenient than flying to Wellington and driving up, he said. Personnel at Woodbourne and Ohakea military bases were also expected to take advantage of the new route.

A new service was introduced on the 10th of February 2026 with Originair introducing flights between Blenheim and and Wellington with flights four days a week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. The first of these new flights was operated by British Aerospace Jetstream 32 ZK-JSK flying OGN 714 to Wellington and the return OGN 715. At the same time Originair enhanced the timings of their Blenheim-Christchurch flights to give passengers more time in each destination.

Originair's schedule for the Blenheim-Wellington service introduced on 10 February 2026

A second new service was introduced on the 13th of February 2026. On that day a new Nelson to Christchurch service was introduced on Fridays and Sundays. British Aerospace Jetstream 32 ZK-JSJ flew the first services, OGN 409 to Christchurch and the return OGN 410. Originair CEO Robert Inglis told Stuff that he believes his airline will “offer travellers another choice. I don’t really see our new Nelson-Christchurch-Nelson service as taking on Air NZ as it’s just a service timed for the weekend away market.” The small Nelson-based airline recently started flying between Blenheim and Christchurch. Inglis said there had been strong demand, so, “Nelson was a natural next step. We know these routes provide essential regional links for both business and leisure travellers and our new Christchurch services are planned to operate at convenient peak timings on Friday and Sunday afternoons. They offer great opportunities for weekend breaks and full business weeks in Nelson or Christchurch.”

Originair's schedule for the Nelson-Christchurch service introduced on 13 February 2026

Originair's Jetstream ZK-JSJ arrives into Christchurch from Nelson on the first direct service on 13 February 2026. Photo Christchurch Airport Facebook page

Due to increasing demand, from 11th of March 2026 Originair increased services between Blenheim and Christchurch by replacing the single midday service on Wednesdays with both morning and evening return services taking the service up to 9 flights per week.

Meanwhile, in early February 2026, The Westport News reported Originair saying it wouldn't guarantee its Westport-Wellington service will continue beyond mid-May. The Westport News revealed that Buller Mayor Chris Russell had emailed local businesses last November, seeking financial support for the airline. Without that support, Originair would pull out on January 31. Originair's chief financial officer Warren Kitchin offered no guarantees Originair would stay on. "We will continue to operate the service until mid-May and monitor travel demand and support options in the meantime," Kitchin said. He would not say whether any local businesses had heeded the mayor's call for financial support. Kitchin confirmed Originair had received no external funding from the Buller District Council (BDC) or from Development West Coast. He said the airline's application to the Government's Regional Investment Fund (RIF), for essential air service support under the Regional Airline Connectivity Support Package, looked unlikely to succeed. Russell's email said an Originair RIF application was declined last October. Kitchin said Originair was a commercial enterprise. It was unreasonable for the airline's shareholders to support the service long-term when the key community beneficiaries were businesses, leisure travellers, tourists and people needing to access essential public healthcare services in Wellington. "We have received requests for an increase in flight frequency. This will be not possible until passenger demand increases in a consistent manner," his email said. Originair is currently flying between Westport and Wellington on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. However, there are no Sunday flights scheduled after this weekend. 

Some six weeks later, on the 18th of March, Originair announced that it would cease operating flights to and from Westport from the 1st of May 2026, unless financial support from the Government was confirmed by late March. In a media statement Buller District Mayor Chris Russell said, “Council staff and I have been advocating for external regional route support for some time, as these services are typically not profitable, but of critical importance to our communities. We began this process as soon as we were aware the route was at risk. We acknowledge that operating the route profitably has always been challenging, and that the small market and ever-increasing operational costs have added significant pressures that Originair cannot continue to absorb without external financial support.” 

Mayor Russell says: “The unrest in the Middle East and the soaring Jet A1 fuel price have been the final straws contributing to the route becoming unsustainable. The decision to withdraw is deeply disappointing for council and the community, and we are acutely conscious of the impact this will have on our hard-working airport staff and their families.” Council sent an application to Kānoa’s Regional Investment Fund in September 2025, which was declined, and has since been working with the airline to find alternative ways to retain the critical air link to Wellington.  Mr Russell concludes: “Our focus will now switch to working with impacted staff at Westport Airport. We will assess next steps and options for the airport’s future over the coming months, once we are through the immediate operational wrap-up phase.”

The same day Originair's managing director Robert Inglis told the Westport News, The service was now costing Originair's shareholders about $500,000 a year. Inglis told the Westport News passenger loadings had been improving, but the airline's fuel prices had almost doubled as a result of the Middle East conflict. "This event has been really disappointing because over the last quarter there certainly has been an increase in support and we were hoping that that would get the sector out of hospital…" he said. "I mean, the economy seems to have started to get out of the grave in the last quarter and we've found most sectors have been getting better support and some have had very good support and there has been an improvement with Westport, so this is a real disappointment." 

When the airline sought government support last year, its shareholders were supporting the service to the tune of about $250,000 a year, he said. Since the Middle East conflict and fuel price rises, that loss had almost doubled. He confirmed the airline had put "sold out" on Westport-Wellington flights on its website after 1 May because the flights had no bookings. Originair had also canned its Westport-Wellington service next Wednesday, 25 March, and on 27 April, because no passengers were booked. "We have to fly to Wellington from Nelson to position ourselves to do the Wellington Westport, Wellington back to Nelson. The cost of that is about $10,000. So then you do think carefully about it if there's only two or three people from Westport." 

In response Associate Transport Minister James Meager told Radio New Zealand the Government is aware of the route's "disappointing" potential closure but added that strong regional connectivity across New Zealand remains a priority. He noted that Originair had withdrawn its expression for a concessionary loan and was instead seeking an alternate form of operational support from Government. However, Meager said “this is outside of the terms agreed to by Cabinet” for the Regional Connectivity Fund. “Any grant or direct route support would require Cabinet to reconsider its earlier decisions and alter the currently approved fund settings on an exception basis,” Meager said. He added that the Government is currently focused on processing applications that fit the existing criteria, such as the recently approved loan for Golden Bay Air. Beyond this, Meager noted that the Government continues to keep a close eye on the developments in the Middle East “to ensure a quick and effective response to any potential disruptions to petrol, diesel, and jet fuel supplies, as well as other key supply chains."

On the 1st of May 2026 Originair operated its final flights between Wellington and Westport with BAe Jetstream 32 ZK-JSK operating flight OGN621 inbound to Westport and the return flight OGN622 back to Wellington. 

By this date other service reductions had been put in place with only five flights a week being operated between Nelson and Wellington,  one flight a week between Blenheim and Wellington and the service between Nelson and Christchurch temporarily suspended due to the fuel crisis.