Westport airlink reinstated - temporarily

Essential, but rocky regional route gets temporary lifeline to keep flying

Regional airline Originair will recommence flights between Westport and Wellington in December, restoring a vital air link for the isolated West Coast community following months of interim funding arrangements and route uncertainty.

Managing director Robert Inglis confirmed the airline will operate Monday and Friday flights between Westport and the capital from December 4 through at least early April 2027.

Originair is also exploring a third weekly service on Wednesdays to connect Westport directly with its Nelson hub.

Inglis said the commitment provides certainty for high-season holiday travellers and local businesses while the airline evaluates options to transition the service back into a year-round, 12-month schedule.

The return of the route comes after Regional Development Minister Shane Jones announced funding support for regional airlines hit hard by escalating Jet A1 fuel costs.

While Inglis said the Government's fuel assistance was helpful, he said it’s not the essential route support for the challenging service it has told the Government is needed.

Originair previously opted not to apply for loan support under Kanoa’s $30 million Regional Airline Support Package.

Inglis maintained that taking on debt to sustain inherently unprofitable routes was unsustainable, arguing instead for direct, targeted route subsidies to preserve essential connectivity.

A difficult route

The announcement marks the latest chapter in an ongoing effort to keep Westport connected to the rest of the country.

Originair first stepped in to operate the Wellington–Westport sector in December 2024 after Sounds Air withdrew from the route.

Serving approximately 4000 passengers a year, it is the only scheduled air service operating out of Westport.

However, the economics of the route have proved challenging.

Earlier this year, Originair warned it would cease flights on May 1 after incurring annual losses of roughly $250,000 on the route — a figure calculated before recent spikes in Jet A1 fuel prices.

To prevent the town from losing its sole air link, Development West Coast (DWC) and the Buller District Council stepped in with short-term interim funding, allowing Originair to operate on a month-to-month basis while local leaders lobbied central government ministers for a permanent route subsidy.

At the time, DWC chief executive Heath Milne and Buller District Mayor Chris Russell emphasised that local interim relief was only meant to buy time for central government to step up with sustainable, long-term options.

"This is about keeping the service in the air for now while those bigger decisions are made," Inglis said back in May.

Source: Stuff.co.nz

The WSZ-NSN-WLG flights on Wednesdays are an interesting idea, and could potentially be a way of filling empty seats with passengers flying between WLG & NSN. However with only 3 flights a week, in the middle of the day, is the demand really there from WSZ? On a route like WLG-WSZ, which traditionally is more used by the Corporate and Business market, as opposed to the leisure market, a bad schedule means people will just drive. Whakatane being a perfect case in point currently - with Air Chathams now only offering 1 flight, in the middle of the day. The loyal business/corporate market are now choosing to drive to TRG or ROT and fly from there.

All the best to Originair and well done for giving Buller another crack! - LF