Takaka's First Air Service - Northwest Airlines

  

During World War II, Puramahoi Field near Takaka in Golden Bay was developed as an emergency grass runway for RNZAF aircraft, and in 1950 John Reid established the first regular service in and out of Golden Bay as Northwest Airlines.

In mid-January 1950 newspaper coverage reported that A new private company, North-west Airlines Ltd., will shortly begin a daily passenger and freight service between Takaka and Nelson. A Miles Gemini, a twin-engined aircraft, has been purchased in England and the founder of the company, Mr J. W. Reid, will fly it out to New Zealand. Mr Reid resigned last week from the position of instructor to the Nelson Aero Club. A licence for the service was approved by the Labour Government at its last Cabinet meeting. The distance from Nelson to Takaka by air is 40 miles and the Gemini’s flying time for the journey will be 18 minutes. It will take 15 minutes to travel from the city to Nelson airport and another 15 mintues by road from the Takaka aerodrome to the township. The 72-mile road journey from Nelson to Takaka takes about two and a half hours, the road across Takaka hill reaching an altitude of 2595 feet. It involves a. climb of 9½ miles on one side and 5½ on the other. Takaka is so isolated that a number of residents have never travelled even as far as Nelson.

Subsequently John Reid went to England  with the thought of flying the Miles Gemini back to New Zealand but due to unrest in Indonesia it was shipped to New Zealand arriving on the 1st of October 1950. Meawhile, Miles M65 Gemini 1A ZK-AUA (c/n 6300) was registered to Northwest Airlines Ltd on the 24th of July 1950. On Sunday the 15th of October 1950 the Gemini paid its first visit to Takaka to promote the upcoming service. 

The service began on the 7th of November 1950. The day before it was reported that a twice-daily return Takaka-Nelson air feeder service will start regular flights tomorrow with a four-seater Gemini aircraft. Mr J. W. Reid, former instructor of the Nelson Aero Club, is the initiator of the service, which will connect with NAC planes in and out of Nelson. The flying time is about 25 minutes, compared with three hours’ land travel time by way of Takaka Hill.

Northwest Airlines' Miles Gemini ZK-AUA at Nelson. Photo John Reid

Northwest Airlines flew Monday to Saturday, with flights being offered from Nelson departing at 7.00am, 12 noon and 5.00pm for the 30 minute flight to Takaka. The return flights departed Takaka at 8.05am, 1.05pm and 6.05pm. 

Northwest Airlines advertising taken from Graeme McConnell's chapter on Northwest Airlines in Taking Off - Pioneering Small Airlines of New Zealand 1945-1970 

Even as the service began there were issues with the Takaka aerodrome becoming water-logged after rain. Despite representations to Government no funding was made available for the drainage works. When needed Arthur Bradshaw's Percival Proctor V, ZK-AVW, was used as a backup aircraft. 

The back-up aeroplane,  Arthur Bradshaw's Percival Proctor V, ZK-AVW. Photo : Des White

The autumn and winter of 1951 proved to be very wet and for 74 days during these months the airfield was waterlogged meaning people had to transported by road. Graeme McConnell's definitive piece on Northwest Airlines, Above the Marble Martin in the Waugh-Gavin-Layne-McConnell book Taking Off - Pioneering Small Airlines of New Zealand 1945-1970 recounts the end of the airline... During the period 9-14 July only one Takaka-Nelson flight was possible, and this was without passengers because of the waterlogged state of the airfield. On Monday 16 July the airfield was only able to be used in the morning when the surface was frozen and this flight turned out to be the last scheduled service flown by the airline.

On 25 July it was announced that the service was being cancelled for a month on account of the condition of the Takaka airfield. The last charter flight was from Nelson to Wellington and return on 3 August 1951 and on 8 October, the public were notified that Northwest Airlines had formally ceased operations. Northwest Airlines figures show - Hours flown 438 (all incident free), Flights made 640, Passengers carried 1991. Freight carried 28301lbs (including newspapers carried on contract). A load factor of 74%. 

Meanwhile, in September 1951, the aircraft had been advertised as being for sale - Twin engined Miles Gemini four seat aircraft complete with Radio and with 12 months certificate of airworthiness for sale by company purchasing larger aircraft. Price £3,150. NORTH-WEST AIRLINES, 22 Victoria Road, Nelson. Phone 1831S Nelson. The Gemini was subsequently sold to the Nelson Aero Club on the 5th of October 1951 who used it until 1954. In May of that year it was sold to Aucklander L S McGuire who traded as Mac's Air Charter. On the 17th of July 1956 the Evening Post reported, The two occupants of a Miles Gemini two-engined aircraft walked out unhurt when it crashed between two houses at Onerahi (Whangārei) shortly after noon today. The two men were the owner-pilot, Mr. L. St. J. McGuire, and Father Cullen, both of Auckland. The plane had made a normal landing but failed to respond to braking at the end of the runway. Mr. McGuire attempted to take off again, but a cross wind caught the plane and tossed it between two houses. The aircraft finished upside down with its wings torn off, The plane was bound from Auckland to Kaikohe, but was landing at Onerahi to set down the passenger. Mrs. I. Kennedy was at home in one of the two houses when the accident oceurred. She received a severe fright but was unhurt. The aircraft was subsequently written off. 

On the 9th of October 1951 the Marlborough Express reported that The air service between Nelson and Takaka is to be discontinued. North-Sest Airlines announced yesterday that it had decided to cease operations because a proposed runway on the Takaka airfield cannot be constructed owing to the high: cost. The price for a 300-yard strip at each end of the airfield would be £12,000. An Air Department official told the company that had the job required about £5000 it could probably have been undertaken.

John Reid ultimately moved to helicopters  and was a pioneer in the New Zealand helicopter industry, for many years from the early 1960s managing Helicopters (NZ).

Graeme McConnell has written the definitive history of John Reid's Northwest Airlines and this can be found in "Taking Off - Pioneering Small Airlines of New Zealand 1945-1970" by Richard Waugh, Bruce Gavin, Peter Layne and Graeme McConnell

Originair reintroduces Blenheim - Wellington flights

 

Originair has reintroduced flights between Blenheim and Wellington for a seasonal period. Starting 15th December, and running through until the 15th January, flights will operate every day except Saturdays, with up to two daily flights scheduled. Flights will be operated by Originair's British Aerospace Jetstream aircraft. 

One might remember that Originair originally offered flights between Blenheim and Wellington back when they started their flights from Marlborough to Palmerston North and Christchurch. However these flights were quietly dropped from the schedule not long afterwards. 

Air New Zealand, Sounds Air and now Originair are flying the Capital to Marlborough route. 

Still no update from Originair or Government about its meetings regarding the future of the Wellington - Westport airlink. One wonders if this route is now finally in the history books…

Stewart Island Flights gets slice of RIF Funding

 

Stewart Island’s tiny airline is getting a slice of the Government’s $30 million Regional Infrastructure Fund, set up to help the country’s smaller operators.

South East Air, which owns the aircraft operated by Stewart Island Flights, will use the $640,000 loan to refurbish and return a plane to service, increasing the airline’s fleet from four to five aircraft.

Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson announced the funding, saying the extra aircraft would help the airline meet peak-season demand and keep scheduled services running when maintenance work takes longer than expected.

The airline’s CEO Leon Bax welcomed the news.

“The additional aircraft will give us better resilience across our schedule, particularly when other aircraft are undergoing planned maintenance.

“It will also provide us with additional capacity to respond to the strong demand we have seen post Covid."

The airline operates scheduled flights between Oban and Invercargill, along with charter and sightseeing services.

The refurbished plane is a Britten Norman Islander, which has been non-operational for some time. It will be the third aircraft of its type in the airline’s fleet. It also operates a Piper Cherokee Six and a Cessna 185.

Patterson added that the loan will help island residents access healthcare services and education, boost response times in an emergency, and help drive Stewart Island’s tourism, trade and general business activity.

It is one of several regional airlines receiving support through the fund.

Air Chathams received a $17.2 million loan, while Sounds Air got $4.5m, Golden Bay Air $1.1m and Island Air $252,000. It operates flights between Tauranga and Mōtītī Island.

In 2023, Stewart Island Flights was named the “most loved” airline in the country.

Source: Stuff.co.nz

Saab 340 landing incident triggers investigation

An investigation is underway after an overloaded Saab 340B wet-leased to Lulutai Airlines “experienced difficulty” while landing at Vava’u Airport (VAV) last week.

According to a report in Tonga’s Kaniva News, which cites “a reliable source,” an airport worker loaded additional undocumented baggage onto the aircraft at Tongatapu (TBU), which the flight crew was unaware of.

After landing, the pilot ordered the aircraft to be reweighed, revealing a “significant discrepancy” and sparking an investigation. The report did not say what event or events occurred during the landing. However, Aero South Pacific understands a preliminary report will be released as soon as next week.

Air Chathams presently has two Saab 340s at Lulutai Airlines. The first, ZK-KRA (msn 340A-065), has been in Tonga since August 10, 2026, and regularly flies between Tongatapu and Vava’u.

The second, ZK-CIY, arrived on August 26 and is set to operate the same route. At the time of publication, both aircraft remain in Tonga, although ZK-CIY has not operated since August 28.

Unclear whether landing damaged aircraft

It is unclear which aircraft was involved in the incident and whether it sustained any damage during the landing. However, Air Chathams has an established history of either wet-leasing or damp-leasing aircraft to Lulutai Airlines, which has been without its own Saab 340 since it was involved in a runway excursion in late 2023 and never returned to service.

There is no suggestion that any Air Chathams employees onboard the flight were aware of the discrepancy between the actual baggage weight and the reported baggage weight.

Neither Tonga's Civil Aviation Office nor Lulutai Airlines responded to a request for comment. Air Chathams declined to comment, citing non-disclosure terms in its ACMI agreement.

However, Air Chathams CEO Duane Emeny confirmed to Kaniva News that an investigation was underway.

“There is an active investigation underway. We will not comment until that investigation is complete,” he said.

Source: Aero South Pacific 

- I see on FlightRadar that ZK-CIY is still in Vava’u and has not returned to Tongatapu. 

Article notes that the aircraft is a Saab 340B. However both ZK-CIY and ZK-KRA are both 340A models.

This leaves ZK-CIT and ZK-CIZ in New Zealand operating Air Chathams scheduled flights to Whakatane and Whanganui. I did get notification today that Air Chathams has rescheduled its once daily AKL-WHKs to now be operated in the middle of the day, instead of the now usual mix of am and pm departures. 

- LF

Westport Grounded again

 

Today Originair operated what very well may be it's last scheduled service to Westport.

BAe Jetstream 32 ZK-JSK, operated the last inbound service as OGN619 from Wellington, and the last outbound as OGN620 returning from Westport to the Capital. 

Originair originally withdrew from Buller back in May. However the service was saved due to funding from Development West Coast (DWC). This funding was extended, however ran out today. Development West Coast have said that there will be no further funding from them for the route. 

There is a Cabinet meeting scheduled for next Monday (31 August), where Government support for the route will be considered. So we may see flights to Westport again. 

Westport air service to cease

 

Westport’s only scheduled air service will stop again on Friday – three days before the Government is expected to decide whether it will provide financial support.

No Westport-Wellington flights are listed on the airline’s website after Friday. Originair has been flying between Westport and the capital on Mondays and Fridays.

Managing director Robert Inglis said he understood government support for the route would be considered at a Cabinet meeting next Monday (August 31).

He said the airline was “obviously disappointed” that Government support for the Westport-Wellington flights had not been confirmed before the May-August interim support from West Coast ended.

Mr Inglis said Originair could restart the service, but it would depend on financial support from central or local government. The ability to resume flights would depend on how many flights were supported and the availability of aircraft and crews.

Passenger demand had increased during the interim support period, he said. But the stop-start nature of the support had affected demand and the uncertainty meant Originair could not schedule flights beyond Friday into the 2026-27 peak travel period.

The DWC support had given the market some certainty during the traditionally quieter winter period and highlighted the need for air services to support healthcare and economic development on the Coast, Mr Inglis said.

He remained hopeful the Government would support the route through Kāinga Regional Airline Support Package (RASP).

Originair understood about 24m of the 30m package had been allocated to other regional airlines for debt refinancing or aircraft financing, he said.

“To date we have had no indications of support from Government on the RASP funding option.”

A ministerial spokesman for Mr Jones told the News on July 31 that ministers were “currently considering options and will have more to say in coming weeks”.

Asked for an update on August 14, the spokesman said a decision had not been made because Cabinet was in recess.

This week Mr Jones’ office said the Government was continuing to consider support options for essential regional air routes. “Any announcements will be made in due course,” the spokeswoman said.

Originair took over the Westport-Wellington route in January 2025 after Sounds Air pulled out at the end of 2024 because of rising costs. Sounds Air provided more flights and a more frequent timetable than Originair, and operated a smaller nine-seater plane.

Originair initially offered six flights a week using 18-seat aircraft but reduced its winter schedule to four flights a week.

The airline later sought support through the Regional Infrastructure Fund but withdrew when it was told it did not meet the criteria.

Originair was seeking support for the loss-making Westport-Wellington route rather than for the wider airline.

In March, the airline announced it would pull out of Westport on May 1 unless it received government assistance. At the time, Mr Inglis said the route was costing Originair shareholders about $500,000 a year.

The Buller District Council held a meeting with Regional Development Minister Shane Jones in April to discuss other options for government support.

The Government had made no decision when the flights stopped on May 1. DWC stepped in a few days later with a four-week support package to underwrite unsold seats while the Government considered longer-term support. The twice-weekly flights resumed on May 18.

DWC extended its support for another 10 weeks in June.

At the time, DWC economic development manager Fiona Hill said DWC’s support had always been intended as a short-term bridging measure while a sustainable long-term solution was found.

Earlier this month DWC confirmed it would not extend the funding offer.

Source: Westport News

The Timing was Perfect

 

Air Chathams has marked a decade of flying in and out of Whanganui. Chief executive Duane Emeny was in the city this week to celebrate the milestone, addressing guests at the airport terminal.

He told the Chronicle Whanganui and Air Chathams “took a punt” on each other in 2016.

Air New Zealand pulled its Whanganui to Auckland service that July, citing low passenger numbers and people using Palmerston North airport.

After a meeting with then Whanganui mayor Annette Main and then MP Chester Borrows, Air Chathams stepped in, Emeny said.

“They sat down in front of us and said the district could not afford to lose air service connectivity to Auckland.

“We’d come from a place where we had quite an established airline in Tonga, but that stopped. We needed to regrow our business.

“The timing was perfect, and it was perfect to purchase our first Saab and bring it into Whanganui.”

Last May, Air Chathams and Whanganui District Council signed a memorandum of understanding to work on a business case for the airline’s relocation to the city.

A potential Whanganui to Christchurch route has also been discussed.

Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe said Air Chathams needed to be successful as a business.

“We have a role to play in helping them achieve their goals, and we’re here to clear the roadblocks and open the runway up to make it happen,” he said.

“It’s tough being an airline these days. It’s about helping them grow but be profitable at the same time.”

An interline agreement allowing passengers to book Air Chathams connecting flights through Air New Zealand expanded to Whanganui earlier this month.

Tripe said he hoped the agreement would lead to “a huge increase” in passenger numbers. “Taking Whanganui to the world and bringing the world to Whanganui is something that’s really important to me.”

Whanganui MP Carl Bates said he, Emeny and Tripe met with the district’s business community this week.

“It was around how we make sure this airline is sustainable in terms of the Whanganui to Auckland route,” Bates said.

“What’s really clear is that having this route has driven job opportunities for people.”

Emeny said by 2036, he wanted to see a doubling or tripling of Air Chathams’ fleet, and more direct services out of Whanganui.

The airline had six Saab 340s, and it was “the aircraft of choice for us”.

“It will be for the next 10 years as well. It has proven itself here in Whanganui.”

Source: Whanganui Chronicle 

Back to Tonga

 

Off back to Tonga today is Air Chathams Saab 340A ZK-CIY. 

The aircraft is presumably heading up to swap out with ZK-KRA which has been in the Kingdom of Tonga for a few weeks. 

Air Chathams has been leasing a Saab to Tonga's Lulutai Airlines. The aircraft primarily flies between the main island of Tongatapu, and the island of Vava'u, a flight of roughly 50mins. 

Westport's wings clipped again?

 

Originair is hoping for a lifeline from the Government so it can continue direct flights between Wellington and Westport, as the regional airline grapples with high fuel costs.

This could be the final week of the flights, with Originair saying its current support arrangement runs out at the end of this week.

Development West Coast has been helping keep the twice-weekly service going, even offering free return flights to Wellington, in an effort to boost demand for the route.

In March, Originair confirmed it could no longer sustain the losses on the route, fewer than 18 months after taking over.

Managing director Robert Inglis said fuel price rises resulting from the Middle East conflict were the final straw. The service was costing Originair’s shareholders about $500,000 a year, he said.

Inglis told Morning Report the cost of running it remained too high.

“We’re not in a position really to jeopardise the rest of our network by continuing it,” he said.

“During the period we’ve been operating it’s probably averaged around 60, 70 per cent load factor, really the yield hasn’t been high enough to cover the increases in fuel costs recently.

“We need about 70 per cent load factor and around about 350 net fares to be able to operate it. What Development West Coast has generously done for us is topped that up for the last three months to allow it to continue, we’re capable of continuing the service but do we need some support.”

Inglis said the airline was hoping it could get funding from the Government.

“We’ve suggested to government they just change the criteria of their regional development funding to allow some annual support until New Zealand’s economic condition improves,” he said.

“A great deal of New Zealand’s growth is coming from the regions at the moment... I don’t really see how the area can grow without a service. I believe there’s a meeting with the ministers involved early next week.”

MBIE has been approached for comment.

Source: NZ Herald 

At this stage the last flight is set for this Friday, 28th August - LF

Whakatāne - Index of Posts

   The following is a list of operators that have flown regular air services through Whakatāne and links to my profiles on their operation. As always I love to receive corrections, more information and photos to update these posts... Steve - westland831@gmail.com

1957-1958

https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2023/05/tauranga-air-services-first-air-service.html

1958-***

https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2021/11/trans-island-airways-story-of-what.html

1958-1959

https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2013/04/rural-east-coast-flyer-marshalls-air.html

1962-1963

https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2010/06/nac-apache.html

1962-1978

Post in preparation... Looking for photos of Friendships at Whakatāne

1962-1964

Post still to be written

1968

https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2020/12/sky-travel-nz-brave-new-feeder-operator.html

1968-1991

https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2010/02/bell-air-remembered.html

1976-1978

lhttps://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2012/08/air-north-big-enough-to-serve-small.html

1978-1990

Post still to be written

1978

https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2012/08/nationwide-air-airline-and-car-ferry.html

1991-2001

https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2017/12/flying-herald-air-rotorua.html

1990-2015

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2013/01/eagle-airways-part-1-fledgling-eagle.html

1991-1995

https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2010/02/bell-air-remembered.html

1995-

https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2019/01/rex-aviations-tranzair-and-freight.html

1995-1996

https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2018/12/northlands-own-airline-northern.html

2000-2005

https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2013/07/scott-air.html

2009

https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2011/10/air-discovery-your-schedule-your.html

2009-Current

on.htmlhttps://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2011/02/sunair-still-shining-25-years-on.html

2015-Current

https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2016/01/air-chathams-30-years-on.html

Timaru photos - Can you help?

I am working on a post on Air Nelson's services to Timaru and I am after photos of Air Nelson Saabs and Bombardier Q300s at Timaru.

If you are able to help can you please email me at westland831@gmail.com  

Thanks in advance... Steve

 

Saab swapout

 

Noted heading up to Fua'amotu International Airport in Tonga on Monday 10th of August was Air Chathams Saab 340A ZK-KRA. 

Today Saab 340A ZK-CIY was seen landing back in Auckland after a 5hr flight from Tonga. CIY has been in Tonga since May 7th. 

Air Chathams has been leasing an Saab to Tonga's Lulutai Airlines. The aircraft primarily flies between the main island of Tongatapu, and the island of Vava'u, a flight of roughly 50mins. 

Chatham Islands - Longer and Stronger + Interline Announcement

A special day on the Chatham Islands today with the official opening of the Inia William Tuuta Memorial Airport. I was happy to be around to witness the afternoon!

The Islands airport on the Karewa Peninsula has been undergoing a major upgrade, dubbed - Longer and Stronger. The Runway has been extended from 1360m to 1850m and widened from 30m to 45m. The Apron has been extended and strengthened to accommodate two aircraft stands, one big enough to receive aircraft up to Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 in size. The original Terminal has been retained to accommodate Check In and Airline Operations. A new Terminal extension has been built which houses a Departure Lounge, and can be upgraded further to comply with any future increase in Security screening measures. The sealed carpark has also been extended. The original airport was built in 1982, replacing a grass airstrip at Hapupu.

Officially opening the Airport today was MP Mark Patterson, Associate Minister for Regional Development. Air New Zealand CEO Nikhil Ravishankar also traveled out to the Islands to announce that the Air NZ and Air Chathams interline agreement has been expanded to include both Whanganui and the Chatham Islands from tomorrow onwards. Air Chathams CEO Duane Emeny then spoke, saying that the airline plans to increase flight offerings between New Zealand and the Chathams, with potentially 2-3 flights a week to Christchurch, and 3-4 flights a week to Wellington, in addition to seasonal flights over the summer. 

MP for Rangitata and Associate Minister of Transport James Meager was supposed to conclude the ceremony, but was called to Wellington just before boarding his flight to the Chathams. Instead Whanganui MP Andrew Tripe, made a speech, also happy with the Interline that is set to include the City. Also in attendance was Air Chathams Craig and Marion Emeny, and MP for Rongotai Julie-Ann Genter.

Air Chathams ATR 72-500 ZK-MCO watches proceedings before its flight to Wellington later on in the afternoon. 

Texel Air flew its Boeing 737-800BCF ZK-TXE in to celebrate the Airport opening. It landed just before 9am, and departed again at 3.40pm. 

The old grass airstrip at Hapupu.

And a Media Report of the news:

The travel agreement being hailed a ‘significant milestone’ for one of NZ’s most remote communities

An agreement to expand the relationship between Air Chathams and Air New Zealand has been hailed a “milestone” for the Chatham Islands.

For the first time, islanders will be able to book a single ticket for journeys involving both airlines. The two carriers had previously worked together on the Auckland–Whakatāne route.

The new interline agreement covers flights between the Chatham Islands and Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, as well as the Auckland–Whanganui route.

Basically, it means passengers can book a single journey connecting their Air Chathams flight with an Air NZ domestic flight, check in once and collect their bags at their final destination.

It also potentially opens the Chathams to a much bigger pool of mainland tourists and business travellers.

Air New Zealand chief executive Nikhil Ravishankar said “seamless connections” are important to its network

“By working together, we’re making it easier for customers to travel, supporting regional economies, and demonstrating what’s possible when Kiwi airlines collaborate.”

Air Chathams chief executive Duane Emeny called it an “especially significant milestone”.

“It simplifies travel for residents, opens up new opportunities for local businesses and tourism, and makes it much easier for more people to experience one of New Zealand's most unique destinations.”

The new head of the NZ Airports Association, Graeme Sharman, told Stuff it was good news for the regions and for the Chathams in particular.

“It shows what's possible when airlines, airports and communities work together.”

He is currently in the Chatham Islands for the opening of the new terminal at Inia William Tuuta Memorial Airport.

“Standing here at the new terminal, you can see the airport investment that makes these connections possible. NZ Airports, and our airport members, will keep working with regional airlines to expand services and connectivity, and we'll keep pressing on the cost settings that support regional routes.”

The agreement has been welcomed on the Chatham Islands.

Mayor Greg Horler said: "The Chatham Islands may be one of New Zealand's most remote communities, but we are an important part of New Zealand's social and economic fabric.

"This partnership makes it easier for residents to access services, education, healthcare and opportunities on the mainland, while making it simpler for visitors to experience everything the Chatham Islands have to offer.“

Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe said it was “a practical improvement that will make a real difference for residents, visitors and businesses, while helping Whanganui remain accessible, connected and open to new opportunities”.

The new agreement starts on August 13.

It comes as the country’s smaller carriers continue to face tough economic headwinds.

Air Chathams recently stopped the only direct flights between the Kāpiti Coast and Auckland.

Rising expenses in aircraft maintenance, labour, airport charges, air traffic control fees, compliance, and fuel meant the route was losing money on every flight.

Earlier this year, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Associate Transport Minister James Meager announced loans for airlines hit hard by the fuel crisis.

It included a $17.2m loan to Air Chathams, $4.5m for Sounds Air, $1.1m for Golden Bay Air and $252,000 for Island Air, who fly from Tauranga to Mōtītī Island.

Source: Stuff.co.nz

One more from Whanganui

On 3 August 2026 Air Wanganui's Beech B200 King Air ZK-PMJ did a med flight from Whanganui to Wellington and back... I was pleased to catch it departing