2025 - The NZ airline scene in review

 On the 1st of January I made some predictions of what might be this year... you can read them here... https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2025/01/crystal-ball-gazing-for-2025.html

2025 proved to be a year out of the bag with a number of changes as the smaller operators continue to struggle in the turbulent regional skies and the major players start to heated up the competition. Here's what happened...

3 January 2025

Originair commenced flying between Wellington and Westport, operating 6 flights a week,  Sunday to Friday.  The first flight to Westport, OG 653 was under the command of Captain Sarah Twisleton, who flew the sector, and First Officer Jason Salo. The return sector to Wellington, OG 654 was flown by the First Officer.

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

16 January 2025

Air New Zealand's latest ATR 72-600 ZK-MZG entered service flying Christchurch to Invercargill as NZ5503 and the return flight NZ5716. ZK-MZG is the 30th ATR 72 in the Air New Zealand fleet.  

Air New Zealand ATR 72-600 ZK-MZG at Wellington on 22 January 2025

17-18 January 2025

Air New Zealand cut the direct Invercargill to Wellington service. The airline had operated two flights a day on weekdays with a Saturday morning northbound and Sunday evening southbound. The final southbound flight, NZ5877, was flown on 17 January 2025 in Bombardier Q300 ZK-NEO. The final northbound flight to Wellington, NZ5872, was flown on 18 January 2025 in the same aircraft.

3 February 2025

Sunair resumed flights to and from Whakatāne on their Hamilton-East Coast services. The first noted stop at Whakatāne was on the 3rd of February 2025 when Piper Aztec ZK-MTY operating as SUNAIR 17Y called at Whakatāne on the morning flight from Gisborne to Hamilton. 

Sunair's Piper Pa23 Aztec, ZK-MTY, at Whakatāne on 3 February 2025. Photo : The Beacon

5 February 2025

Air Napier introduced Gippsland GA8 Airvan ZK-YUG into service using it for the first time on their morning courier service from Napier to Gisborne and the return late afternoon service. It is also used on the Napier-Wairoa medical flights.  

Air Napier's Gippsland Airvan ZK-YUG at Napier on 26 August 2025. Photo : M Gibson

8 February 2025

Air Chathams' Douglas DC-3 ZK-AWP, Skyliner Kaitaia, departed Auckland at 6.45am for Kaitaia on the first leg of its ferry flight to Australia. It left Kaitaia for Norfolk Island at 8.30am 

Air Chathams' Douglas DC-3 ZK-AWP at Auckland on 3 February 2025

17 February 2025

Originair commenced flying between Wellington and Taupō, operating 3 flights a week,  on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.  The first flights to and from Taupō, OG 732 and OG 733 were operated in British Aerospace Jetstream 32 ZK-JSJ under the command of Captain Damian King and First Officer Jason Salo.

Originair's BAe Jetstream 32 ZK-JSJ arriving at Taupō with the airline's first flight on 17 February 2025. Photo : Stuff News 

6 March 2025

Sounds Air's Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLV flew its final Sounds Air flights on the 6th of March 2025, flying two return services from Blenheim to Christchurch as S8 643, 644, 641, and the final flight S8 642. It departed the country enroute to Alaska on 28 March 2025

Sounds Air's Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLV with the ZK- international prefix ready for its ferry flight to Alaska. Photo taken at Ardmore on 29 March 2025

19 April 2025

Texel Air's sixth Australasian Boeing 737-800 entered service. Boeing 737-86N(BCF) ZK-TXF  flew from Auckland to Christchurch as TEXEL 6101 and returned to Auckland as TEXEL 6102.

Texel Air's Boeing 737-800 freighter ZK-TXF departing Auckland for Christchurch on its first revenue service on 19 April 2025

24 April 2025

Air Chathams' air service to Norfolk Island concluded with the final flights, 3C401 to Norfolk Island and the return flight 3C402 to Auckland being operated in ATR 72-500 ZK-MCU under the command of Captain David Keys and First Officer Jongho Kang with Ayla Booker and Sian Evans in the cabin.  

Air Chathams' ATR 72 ZK-MCU operating the final flights in and out of Norfolk Island on 24 April 2025. Photo : Leo De Chesne

13 May 2025

Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLT operated its final Sounds Air services doing 3 return Blenheim-Wellington flights, the last ones being S8 264 to Wellington and the return S8 265 to Blenheim. It positioned to Omaka on the 16th of May.  

Sounds Air's Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLT at Taupō on 21 October 2016

26 May 2025

Originair withdrew its Wellington-Taupō flights. The final flights, OG 710 to Taupō and the return flight to Wellington OG 711, were flown by British Aerospace Jetstream 32 ZK-JSK..

12 June 2025

Air New Zealand's Airbus 321 Neo ZK-NNH entered service flying NZ143 from Auckland to Brisbane and the return flight NZ142.

Air New Zealand Airbus 321 ZK-NNH landing at Auckland on 8 December 2025

10 July 2025

Sunair was grounded by the Civil Aviation Authority. The final flights before the grounding were operated on the 9th of July with Piper Aztec ZK-MTY operating as SUNAIR 12Y flying from Gisborne to Napier and Tauranga before returning to Gisborne, Piper Aztec ZK-DIR operating as SUNAIR 16R flying the medical flight from Whangārei to Kaitaia and return and then on Hamilton before positioning to Tauranga as ZK-DIR and Cessna 172 which operated as SUNAIR 13O (Oscar) from Tauranga to Napier. ZK-DIR's medical flight on the 9th of July from Whangārei to Kaitaia in the morning and returning in the afternoon proved to be the last Sunair operated medical flight.

Grounded Sunair Piper Aztecs at Whangārei on 13 September 2025

10 July 2025

Air New Zealand's newest Airbus A321-271NX, ZK-NNI, entered service flying NZ187 from Auckland to the Gold Coast and the return flight to Auckland, NZ 188. Later that day it flew NZ129 from Auckland to Melbourne.

Airbus 321 ZK-NNI landing at Auckland on 29 November 2025

18 September 2025

Air New Zealand commenced 171-seat Airbus 320 flights between Christchurch and Hamilton. The service is being offered on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. The first flights, NZ324 from Christchurch to Hamilton and the return NZ325 were operated in Airbus 320 ZK-OJR. 

Air New Zealand's Airbus 320 ZK-OJR, operating the inaugural Christchurch-Hamilton jet service on 18 September 2025

22 September 2025

Skyline Aviation took over the Whangārei-Kaitaia medical commuter flights with Beech C90 King Air ZK-ZZA flying the morning flight north and afternoon flight south as SKL9. In the first week flights operated on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

Beech King Air ZK-ZZA at Auckland on 21 April 2025

25 September 2025

Air New Zealand's 31st ATR 72-600, ZK-MZH, entered service flying from Christchurch to Wellington as NZ5336 and the return NZ5343 in the morning. In the afternoon it flew NZ5822 to Wellington before flying a Wellington to Hamilton return as NZ5822 northbound and NZ5811 southbound before overnighting in Wellington. 

ATR 72 ZK-MZH on approach to Christchurch on 26 December 2025

26 September 2025

Originair withdrew its services to Hamilton with 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 BAe Jetstream ZK-JSK arriving into Hamilton on 22 May 2023

26 September 2025

Sounds Air withdrew Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLZ from service at the formal end of Pilatus PC12 operations. It had a busy final day departing Wellington for Blenheim as S8 297 before operating S8 695 from Blenheim to Christchurch and S8 791 from Christchurch to Wānaka. It then did the northbound flights from Wānaka as S8 792 to Christchurch and S8 696 to Blenheim. This was followed by its final flights through Kāpiti Coast as S8 412 from Blenheim to Paraparaumu and S8 505 on to Nelson. It then headed back to Blenheim via Paraparaumu as S8 506 and S8 413. It finished the day day flying a return flight from Blenheim to Christchurch as S8 691 southbound and S8 692 northbound arriving at Blenheim at 9.00pm. ZK-PLZ was subsequently used to replace Cessna Caravan flights on occasion later in the year. 

28 September 2025

Sounds Air withdrew all its air services to Christchurch and Wānaka. It was also the formal end of Pilatus PC12 operations on regular services but four PC12s replaced Cessna Caravans in subsequent visits.  

ZK-PLX started the day at Wellington and departed for Nelson mid-afternoon as S8 375 before doing S8 from Nelson to Paraparaumu as S8 506 and the return flight S8 507. It then operated S8 376 from Nelson to Wellington and then its final flight, S8 291, from Wellington to Blenheim. 

ZK-PLB flew from Blenheim to Wellington mid-afternoon as S8 214 before flying what was a return scheduled flight to Picton but which operated to Blenheim as S8 127 and the return S8 128. It then returned from Wellington to Blenheim as S8 213 before doing a another flight to Wellington, S8 268 and then operated the final Sounds Air Pilatus PC12 service, S8 269 with a scheduled departure from Wellington at 8.20pm and arriving into Blenheim at 8.50pm. 

ZK-PLS departed Blenheim at 12.30pm and flew to Christchurch as S8 691 and from Christchurch to Wānaka as S8 791 for the final flights to Wānaka. It then operated the northbound services with the final scheduled departure from Wānaka for Christchurch as S8 792 and then a northbound service from Christchurch to Blenheim, S8 692. It then operated a Kāpiti Coast flight, S8 414 from Blenheim to Paraparaumu and the return flight S8 415. It then departed for Christchurch as S8 693 for Sounds Air's final flights to the Garden City. For its last sector of the day ZK-PLS, the PC12 that inaugurated Sounds Air's Pilatus PC12 services on the 28th of April 2015, in a nod to history, was given the honour of doing Sounds Air's final Pilatus PC12 flight, S8 694, departing Christchurch at 8.35pm to arrive into Blenheim at 9.25pm.

Farewell to Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLX at Nelson on 28 September 2025

8 October 2025

Sounds Air finally withdrew Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLZ from service flying Blenheim-Wellington (S8 262), Wellington-Blenheim (S8 121), Blenheim-Wellington (S8 112), Wellington-Blenheim (S8 265).

Sounds Air Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLZ at Christchurch on 5 October 2023 

19 October 2025

Originair commenced operating flights between Blenheim and Christchurch. 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. 9 flights a week are offered.

Originair's BAe Jetstream 32 ZK-JSK on the gate on Christchurch on the 20th of October 2025. Photo : J Svensson

20 October 2025

Sounds Air finally withdrew Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLS from service flying Blenheim-Wellington (S8 116), Wellington-Blenheim (S8 297)

Sounds Air Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLZ at Christchurch on 1 September 2025

20 October 2025

Originair commenced direct flights between Blenheim and Palmerston North. 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. 

26 October 2025

Sounds Air finally withdrew Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLX from service flying Blenheim-Wellington (S8 260), Wellington-Nelson (S8 351), Nelson-Wellington (S8 352), Wellington-Blenheim (S8 135), Blenheim-Wellington (S8 136), Wellington-Blenheim (S8 261)

Sounds Air Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLX at Wellington on 1 February 2025

10 November 2025

Merlin Labs started operating Taupo Tandem Skydiving's Cessna 208B Grand Caravan ZK-JMP on air freight flights between Kaikoura and Wellington and Invercargill and Christchurch. 

Taupo Tandem Skydiving's Cessna 208 Grand Caravan ZK-JMP as MERLIN 1 at Wellington on 14 November 2025. Photo : T Gorman 

14 November 2025

Sounds Air finally withdrew Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLB from service flying Blenheim Wellington (S8 262), Wellington-Blenheim (S8 263), these being Sounds Air's final Pilatus PC12 flights.

Sounds Air Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLX at Wellington on 8 September 2025

27 November 2025

Airwork's newest acquisition, Boeing 737-800 ZK-AWK departed Auckland. It has not entered service in New Zealand being used on Qantas freight services within Australia and from Perth to Christmas Island and the Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean.

Airwork's Boeing 737-800 ZK-AWK at Auckland on 24 November 2025. Photo : AgAirNZ

1 December 2025

Sunair's resumed scheduled air services with Piper Aztec ZK-FVP flying as SUNAIR 11P from Gisborne to Napier and then the return from Napier to Wairoa and on to Gisborne. It then reversed these flights in the afternoon. CAA had grounded Sunair on the 10th of July 2025 due to maintenance and safety concerns. 

1 December 2025

Jetstar began a new daily Airbus 320 service commencing between Christchurch and Hamilton. The first flight was operated in Airbus 320 VH-VFT which operated the northbound service from Christchurch to Hamilton, JQ272, before operating the return service, JQ273. 

Jetstar in Hamilton, Airbus 320 VH-A5E arrives from Brisbane on 22 December 2025. Jetstar started international services to Hamilton on the 16th of June 2025