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Posted on Air Chathams website is the news that Saabs are going to take over the Whakatāne service...
Air Chathams is proud to have operated scheduled flights between Whakatāne and Auckland for more than 8 years. We now have the opportunity to introduce our SAAB340 airliner on the route from the 20th November 2023.
- The frequency drops from 3 flights a day on weekdays to 2.
- The Saab will not overnight at Whakatāne with the exception of Mondays meaning there will be no early morning service to Auckland or early evening return to Whakatāne... one wonders how the business community will cope with this.
- There are no Saturday flights.
One wonders if the introduction of the Saab will mark the end of Metroliner operations.
This is very disappointing news by Air Chathams. Weekend flights now nearly non existent - only 1 flight to AKL over the whole weekend! No morning flights on Friday!
ReplyDeleteFlights are ill timed for the Business Community. By the time I land in AKL and get into the CBD, I would have less than 4 hours before needing to head back to the Airport. This regular user (6 times monthly) will have to travel to Tauranga now. Most of the people using the Air Chats service are Business People. Most leisure people tend to take advantage of cheaper fares and more direct flights out of ROT or TRG.
We all know from past experiences that the best way to kill a route is to offer a poor schedule- especially for the business community. Air Chathams had no consultation with the community over the new schedule. This is a very poor move by Air Chats, which will result on losing a lot of bums on seats. Everyone at my company will now need to travel via TRG, Or have a Overnight in AKL to achieve what we once could in one day with the old Schedule. Our yearly spend with the Airline is very high, and we have received nothing but awesome service from Air Chats. We knew the Metro was retiring come November, and we would lose some flights moving to the Saab. But we never thought we would lose our Overnighting Aircraft which allowed those Business Friendly flights. Everyone I have spoken too This morning is most unhappy by this news.
I mean i thought you would be happy that your getting a bigger plane
DeleteThey only have 3 Saab's Soon to be 4 with CIT but idk when she will enter service . And the others have to do WAG PPQ Service as well as the new WHK Service and i suspect when it was ment to be overnighting in WHK it would be over nighting in WAG or PPQ
This is what happens to unviable air routes (nearly all of them). It’s not about making money, it’s about covering your costs. If Air Nz couldn’t make money out of a route like WHK, How on earth would Air Chathams.
DeleteThe owners of these small airlines literally have their houses in the line. Aviation should be considered a bit like a Hospital or a school as the industry simply doesn’t make money and people whinging about schedules need to have a good long hard look at themselves. I guess you were probably flying for $99 a trip also?
Your presumptions are noted. However our spend averages $170.00 per sector (Multipass - $1700.00 Ten Trip Pass). Obviously that increases if we have to shoot down to Whanganui as well. No $99 fares here! - it's been a long time since I have seen any of them anyways. I even think $170 is pretty cheap really.
DeleteNearly every 3C821 (6.45am) service I have flown on for the last year has been either chocka, or close too.
Air Chathams have done well marketing the Whakatane route, and locals feel proud of their local airline. There is a lot of love out there for them. Air Chats have sponsored many community projects and groups. There was never the same love for Eagle/Air NZ.
As an extremely regular user of the WHK service, who has spent 10s of thousands of dollars with the airline - I deserve the right to comment on the change of Schedule. I do not need to take a look at myself. Maybe you need too if thats what you think? I understand the challenges of running and operating a family/small business in this difficult economic climate post covid. I have met Craig and Duane several times and both are passionate not only about their airline, but also about the Communities they serve.
My comment is - and remains, that the new schedule is not conducive to Business Travel. Of which the majority of WHK traffic is. This will now necessitate my Business and my Staff, plus other Businesses I have spoken too, to now travel via TRG. This results in thousands and thousands of dollars no longer being spent with this fantastic little airline. Instead now having to be spent with the National Carrier. That means far less bums on seats and will no doubt undermine the viability of the service in the future.
7 odd years of loyal service by Air Chathams to Whakatane would suggest the route makes some sort of money. The airline is not a charity. They certainly wouldn't fly for fun. They would have pulled out LOOONG before now if it was a loss maker.
DeleteThis is the issue with aviation. That '$10s of thousands of dollars' doesn't even pay for prop governor these days. In regards to profitability, the issue with nearly all routes is the fact that typically, you will have a period of ‘sort of’ profitability. Then huge losses due to maintenance cycles, downturn in the economy, pandemics!!?? which then gives you a overall large loss. When you span it over 5 years or so it simply doesn't pay. You could run a metro with every seat at $500 for a 45 minute trip and when you consider the depreciation on the aircraft and everyone else you have to pay, you are still going backwards.
DeleteAlso funny how everyone is patting themselves on the back at Air NZ after a few months of profitability. Staff bonuses all round. Look at the cycle of profit then huge loss due to some sort of black swan event. What happens next? A government Bail out. Right back to when Ansett went broke, the same pattern occurs.
Why is it any different for GA airlines? The only difference is that most of us owner operators are stuck. Huge debt, 7 days a week for either a small loss even with every government subsidy you can find.
If Air Chathams were not finding Whakatane profitable - after 7 years, they would not be flying the route anymore. The fact they continue to fly the route says that their is obviously something in it for them... they wouldn't do it otherwise!
DeleteIf it was working why would they change it?
DeleteThe Metroliners were always scheduled for Withdrawal this year. Like the CV580s, they are showing their age and maintaining them is getting pricey. Saabs would have been in Whakatane a long while back, but I believe there were some Runway Issues (maybe to do with RESAs from vague memory) that needed to be addressed first.
DeleteUnfortunately, the Bigger Plane is completely irrelevant. The Saab is definitely a nicer aircraft to fly on than the Metro. However I don't care if it is a ATR, a Metro, or a Caravan. If it allows me to get to where I need to be, at Business Friendly times, I am happy.
ReplyDeleteIf Air Chathams are running a little short on Saabs, it seems weird to sell ZK-CIZ.
I, and others in the community here that I have spoken to over the last few days, believe Air Chathams are making a mistake with this new schedule. At the moment PPQ is receiving 1 flight a day, which overnights before heading out again the next day. WHK currently has 3 daily flights, albeit on smaller A/C. However it's still 54 seats, more than PPQs 34. Surely it would have been better to give WHK the overnighter.
Ah well, the Airline has made their decision, and this armchair critic is not going to change that. It's a huge shame, Air Chats have been brilliant for the Region, and for my business. We have already started our next months bookings - and we have had to move everything over to Tauranga. Sadly that's a lot of spend no longer going to a excellent family business like Air Chats.
Where did you hear about they are selling ZK-CIZ? last i thought it was doing a C Check ? i doubt they would sell an aircraft like that one
DeleteThey are selling CIZ as they have to free up capital.
DeleteThat was my belief as well.
DeleteTo Concerned in Eastern Bay. I think you should speak directly to Air Chathams about these issues as this might be very strong feedback they may reconsider the schedule change.
DeleteStraight from Duane himself in a recent CH Article. ZK-CIZ is to be sold, Which will leave 4 flying Saabs. The Cargo configured ZK-CIW, the passenger configured ZK-CIT, and the two Quick Change A/Cs ZK-CIY and ZK-KRA. ZK-CIX and VH-KDK (when it arrives) will be parted out. :) Article also goes on about the acquisition of the 737-300QC out of Kelowna.
ReplyDeleteOooh i did not see that bit only looked at cirtun bits it when i somehow had acess to it
DeleteThe 737 dream is years away for Air Chathams. They shouldn't be delusional as to what an aircraft like that takes to operate. Right now, it sounds as if they are struggling to do what they do currently without adding the complexity of a jet aircraft into the mix.
DeleteYou say the 737 is years away but yet they have recently completed the runway for it and have attempted to sign for a lease on the 733 with Kelowna they are awaiting for the end of the New Zealand Election to go with anything at this stage
DeleteYou clearly do not know the Emenys. They would have done EXTREME due diligence on 737 project and would certainly not have been advocating for a longer Runway at CHT, or in talks with Kelowna if they didn't think they could make it work! They seem to exceed at most things they do!
DeleteOwning 1 737 classic is going to be problematic. Reliability will be a real issue. Lengthening the runway and talking with Kelowna does not mean they are on top of operating one.
DeleteThey also own a 737 Simulator
DeleteThis is the same argument that will be had if Airnz regional ports turn into 320 routes.
ReplyDeleteVolume will replace frequency, and those that complain about the Turboprop pricing will complain about the lack of flights out of these ports.
This sounds like “back to the future”. The NAC / Air NZ F-27s used to operate AA-WK-WG-WN while another flew the reverse. They passed each other over TG and were through WK within 30 mins of each other. These were around midday which allowed Graham Bell to do well with the BE99 on morning and evening AA returns. I guess the economics or airline connections are different nowadays, or perhaps the Metro could make it work while a 340 can’t. The Metro is obviously end of life with nothing out there to replace it. A Barrier Air Caravan is possibly the best machine for the job nowadays?
ReplyDeleteWow! That takes me back! I well remember Bell Air and the Beech 99s. A brilliant wee airline who, as you say, did well out of those business timed flights. I used to love flying on the Beech 99
ReplyDeleteHow ridiculous - they went out and brought 3 Saab's from Rex, that to this day are parked up in AKL and now they have to sell CIZ to free up capital? I've always wondered how the airline manages to return a profit as most of the times their fleet is just parked up on the apron in AKL.
ReplyDelete*four Saabs. One is still sitting in the middle of the Outback after suffering an in flight incident. But your point is correct - how can an airline like this make money? Numbers across the route I fly seem way down.
DeleteFlew WHK-AKL return twice in one week a month or so ago. First trip was up on the first departure of the day, and the straight back on the next flight (30mins later) completely full (18pax) on the way up, and only 5 on the way back.
DeleteA few days later it was up on the late morning departure with only 7 on board, and back on the evening flight which was full. seems the business flights to Auckland and back are full, with other flights really struggling to get the numbers. Seems like a mistake to cut the business timed flights