Sounds Air has announced an air service to Kaikoura starting on Monday the 21st of November 2016. Flights will operate between Blenheim and Kaikoura at $ 95 a seat and between Christchurch and Kaikoura at $115 a seat. Flights will operate for a minimum of 3 weeks ensuring Kaikoura remains connected to the rest of the country.
The schedules are as follows;
The flights will be operated by turbine powered Cessna Caravans and are weather dependent as part of the flight is operated under Visual Flight Rules.
Check-in locations:
Kaikoura: Wings Over Whales counter, Kaikoura Airport terminal building, SH1 Kaikoura
CHC – Counter 43, Christchurch Airport
BHE- Sounds Air check in desk, Woodbourne Airport
Bookings can be made now at www.soundsair.com
Well done Sounds Air for coming to Kaikoura's rescue!
I always believe there is need for an airlink from WLG/KBZ/CHC for the tourist market, but with cheaper ferry/bus and ferry/train 'through' fares between WLG/KBZ and the short length for Kaikoura's airfield, it was going to have problems being price. The concept also failed due to lack of aggressive marketing.
ReplyDeleteI not sure about the wisdom of flying from BHE to KBZ, as the tourists will fly directly from WLG to CHC and by passing Kaikoura, as the ferry/bus and ferry/train 'through' services are no longer working except for the ferry/bus services WLG/BHE and WLG/NSN.
From the tourist point of view, the main tourist route will be now, WLG to NSN by air, ferry/car or ferry/bus and down the west coast scenic route from Nelson to Westport, Greymouth, Franz Josef and Fox Glacier. Nelson is the gateway to Abel Tasman National Park, making the Nelson the preferred stop over location as oppose to BHE.
InterCity which also operates services on behalf of Manabus/Naked Bus, is now operating 1 bus service from Picton to Blenheim, Murchison Amberley, Woodend to Christchurch departing Picton 7.30am arriving Christchurch 4.15pm, which wont help Soundsair service from a tourism prospective.
Soundsair flights from Kaikoura to Christchurch and Blenheim will be for the locals, government and insurance officials. I guess those government and insurance officials would have prefered to fly directly to WLG/KBZ instead of travel WLG/BHE/KBZ.
As we all now know, the State Highway 1 and the rail line from Blenheim to Chevoit is muntered and its going to take along time (at least a year) to become operational plus rebuilding the local and tourism infrastructure will be at least 6 months. The key tourism attraction operators like Whale Watch Tours boats are now sitting on the new sea bed so the marina for whaling watching, dolphin swimming, etc needs to be dredge for these tours to operate.
Depending if Kaikoura can get its local and tourism infrastructure rebuilt including lengthening the airfield for 19 seater twin engine aircraft, in time for the 2017/2018 summer tourism season, I can see air services between WLG/KBZ/CHC being more successful then it has been in the past and becoming a new tourism attraction, as the flight from WLG/KBZ can be very scenic in good weather.
Does anybody what condition the terminal and airfield prior to the 14 Nov 16 earthquake?
Good analysis but just calm down mate - this is mainly for earthquake relief
DeleteIt was a very good terminal and runway at Kaikoura before the earthquakes. This new flight from Sounds Air is good that it allows more passengers to fly from BHE to CHC with a stop en route as there has been a swell in demand for more seats between the two cities.
ReplyDeleteWhat are the current loadings like on SA current BHE/CHC direct flights?
DeleteGood.
ReplyDelete