The National Carrier at Westport - Part 2 - Air New Zealand

UPDATED April 2026

On the 1st of April 1978 the National Airways Corporation merged with Air New Zealand. At that time Air New Zealand was operating 12 Fokker Friendship flights a week through Westport, with Sunday to Friday services to Wellington via Nelson and Christchurch via Hokitika. It was about this time that Air New Zealand were gradually increasing its fleet of the larger 48 seat 500 series Friendship to replace some of the older 40-seat 100 series.

From the first Air New Zealand domestic timetable, effective 7 June 1978

On the 1st of August 1980, in the face of passenger numbers being down 8 per cent on the previous year’s level in apparent direct response to higher air fares resulting from increasing fuel costs-and inflation Air New Zealand announced cuts to its domestic and international services. For Westport the plan was drastic with its 6 Friendship flights each week to Wellington via Nelson and 6 to Christchurch via Hokitika being replaced by 3 direct flights to Wellington each week. At this time the Nelson-Westport sector had an average load factor of 60.2%; Westport-Hokitika 41.9% and Hokitika-Christchurch 65.3% with an average of 18 passengers in and out of Westport each day. 

On the 18th of September that year the Press reported, The West Coast has made too much noise for Air New Zealand to ignore. The airline agreed at yesterday’s Air Services Licensing hearing in Westport that it was influenced by urgent submissions from the area when it came up with the proposal to retain a link between Westport and Christchurch. The new proposal amends the previous application for a Monday-Wednesday-Friday Wellington to Westport and return service to include southbound flights. Apart from regional submissions from the West Coast United Council, all objections came from the Buller district. Thirteen people gave evidence. The immediate past president of the Buller Chamber of Commerce (Mr G. Wood) said the Government must find a way of maintaining a service role for Air New Zealand in regional development areas such as the West Coast. “It makes little economic sense,” he said, “for the Government to be trying, on the one hand, to encourage new industries to regions such as Buller, with incentives of various kinds, and then, on the other hand, to allow the withdrawal of an essential service which is important to present and prospective industries.” He said it was significant that during the last four years, passengers carried and freight leaving Westport had increased steadily. Also origin and destination passengers for Westport increased 4.9 per cent during the year ended March 31, 1980, the highest increase of any airport in New Zealand. 

Counsel for Air New Zealand (Mr M. J. Neville), said he believed there was begrudging acceptance by most witnesses for the airline’s new proposal. He said the proposal would avoid the 40 per cent tariff increase incurred by flying to Christchurch via Wellington. A Sunday service would be flown in peak periods and the airline would consider flying on Tuesdays and Thursdays if there was demand. Mr Neville believed the objectors were mainly concerned with the reduction in the number of flights and harboured an unspoken fear of the possible loss of all air services.

The changes took effect from the 27th of October 1980 with Air New Zealand operating a Wellington-Westport-Hokitika-Christchurch service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The direct Westport-Wellington flights meant the loss of the Nelson-West Coast connection that Cook Strait Airways had pioneered the Nelson-Westport-Greymouth-Hokitika route in 1937. 

Air New Zealand timetable effective 27 October 1980

On the 30th of October 1983 Air New Zealand reintroduced a Sunday service through Westport giving four flights each week to Wellington and four to Christchurch via Hokitika. 

Westport News, 4 April 1984

There was a good response to the Sunday service and so a year later, from the 29th of October 1984, the Westport services were increased to six flights a week operated on Sundays through to Fridays to both Wellington and Christchurch. 

Air New Zealand's Regional Manager, Paul Bowe, was reporting as saying, "The move to add additional flights is a response by the airline to a healthy growth in passenger demand over the last year." Mr Bowe said. He confirmed that the flights through Westport and Hokitika were well patronised and said he was confident that this 50% increase in flights would stimulate further travel between the West Coast and other parts of the Air New Zealand network. "Should this prove to be the case the airline is hopeful that the new flights will continue to be warranted beyond the summer period." he added. Air New Zealand's Westport ticketing agent, Union Travel, has welcomed the move. Manager, Wayne Craddock, said he had expected the number of flights to increase because loadings on existing flights were so good. Union Travel has just employed an extra part-time staff member and was prepared to cope with the increased business. Mr Craddock said if the extra flights proved as successful as the introduction of Sunday flights they could easily be sustained. He said flying had become increasingly popular, especially with groups, because it was the cheapest way to travel.

Air New Zealand Fokker Friendship ZK-BXF at Westport in January 1987. Photo Brian Smith

The Friendships continued to serve Westport on this schedule until 1988. In mid-September of that year Air New Zealand announced that it had bought a half share in Air Nelson. Air Nelson were to acquire two 19-seat Fairchild Metroliner III aircraft and take over Air New Zealand’s West Coast services to Hokitika and Westport.

Westport departures from the final Air New Zealand timetable before services ended, effective
28 March 1988

The final Air New Zealand Friendship services were flown to Westport on Sunday the 30th of October 1988. The final southbound flight, NZ703, was flown to Christchurch under the command of Captain David McDonald and First Officer First Officer Francis van Woerkom in ZK-BXI. The northern flight to Wellington was flown by ZK-BXE.