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Sounds Air's service between Wanganui and Wellington has been cancelled for lack of passengers. The last flights will be on May 15. The airline took over the service when Air New Zealand pulled out in September 2013. Picton-based Sounds Air began the run on January 21 last year with a cheapest one-way adult ticket of $125 and two return flights daily to Wellington. Sounds Air managing director Andrew Crawford said in a press release that despite marketing efforts to promote the service, it has not been sustainable. Customers with pre-purchased Sounds Air flights will be fully refunded. "We have done what we can to keep this service running locally but in any location around the world where someone can drive to a main city in less than three hours, air link services seem to struggle. "Despite altering our flight times to suit more people and our competitive pricing, we're running at a loss." Mayor Annette Main says while the announcement is disappointing, it is understandable that Sounds Air has made the decision. "I know this wasn't an easy decision for Sounds Air to make. They have been a very supportive and important business in our community and they have allowed local people to easily travel to Wellington, mostly for business needs. Sadly though, the service has not been supported as well as it could have been. "The Wanganui District Council is still interested in investigating other flight options to Wellington in the near future." A would-be passenger told the Chronicle it was a shame to lose the service but understandable if the patronage wasn't there. She found out the service was being cut when she tried to book a flight between Wanganui and Blenheim via Wellington online but was unable to. "It didn't say anything and eventually I had to ring them to find out it had been cancelled ... I was a bit surprised the info wasn't on the website." She said flying out of Wanganui to Wellington had been "killed" by Air New Zealand flight times for its earlier service which got people into Wellington at 12.30pm with a return flight at 3pm. "It was pointless. People just got used to flying out of Palmerston North. And that affects our airport, and the city, apart from losing the connections to Wellington and the South Island."
Regrettable to see the service go, but good on them for doing their best.
ReplyDeleteWith the Capital Connection train's future looking bleak, there might have been an increase from people that currently drive to Palmy and train the rest of the way (there are a handful). But we can't expect Sounds Air to sustain losses based on a 'what if?' scenario.
On the flip side, perhaps they could consider using the aircraft on a Nelson - Palmerston North service instead?
Typical Kiwi attitude!
ReplyDeleteAir NZ pulled out because it didn't make money and they are greedy buggers and should take the loss for the good of the country. Soundair pulls out and its good on them for giving it ago but it failed because of Air NZ!
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DeleteTall poppy syndrome toward Air NZ and a nice little pat on the back for everyone else.
ReplyDeleteEveryone was making a song and dance when Air NZ was "abandoning" this same sector. Why were they expected to make a Beech work when the Caravan couldn't even support it.
Because Soundsair like to think of themselves as the good guys and the antithesis of big company capitalism.
DeleteWhat a joke.
Time will tell and Taupo will no doubt go the same way as Wanganui.
I think perhaps the previous comments are going over-reacting...
ReplyDeleteFollowing is the reaction to the announcement Air NZ was pulling out of the Wanganui-Wellington route... its not much different to the one above
Air New Zealand is axing its Wanganui-Wellington service in December. The move was disappointing for the city, mayor Annette Main said, "but it is a commercial decision that was not unexpected". "We have been aware that there has been low patronage on the Wellington flights due a number of factors, including cost, a less than convenient schedule and improved driving times to Wellington. "My understanding is that flights between Wanganui and Wellington will continue until just before Christmas. "While any loss of service is a blow to regional centres, the timing of the flights was not as convenient as people wanted." Most people travelling to Wellington already chose to drive for convenience, she said. Ms Main said Air NZ has assured her the Wanganui-Auckland service was not under threat. "In fact, it is seen as having greater potential and I look forward to working with Air New Zealand on ways to ensure we utilise these services fully for both locals and visitors."
Wanganui Chronicle - 5 September 2013
The other routes, or rather centres, that have been dropped (Wanaka, Oamaru, Masterton and more recently Westport, Whakatane, and Kaitaia are different story. They are losing their WHOLE service. This is part of the evolution of Air New Zealand which is still the NATIONAL carrier. The regions remember the airline being bailed out by the taxpayer and when a service is axed they forget the company has to make a profit. One wonders just how much regional responsibility (cf NAC) Air New Zealand should have today. I think it is quite understandable the regions effected get upset at the loss of their air service. The reaction is not all negative - a large part of it is knowing what they are losing!
The whole 'oh we bailed you out' story is so so so over flogged.
DeleteThe then government had several choices leading up to their eventual decision. They were never backed into a corner as some misinformed like to shout about.
They chose to go down the path of a rescue 'bail out' because they dismissed and dithered around the other options. In the end paying more than $800 million for an 82% stake in 2001.
Since then they've received almost 1 billion in dividends PLUS sold down to just over a half shareholding and made around $350 million for that sale.
So that 'bailout' has been more than paid back. If the government really wanted the services where 2s and 3s flew each sector then they could individually use their dividend money to subsidise it.
In its most recent 6 month period it paid more than $65 million in tax alone, let alone the half year interim dividend!
Thankyou for posting that.
DeleteIt should be circulated to every provincial newspaper editor in New Zealand and inserted as a full page advertisement.
The naivety and misinformation out there is staggering.
Air NZ had produced an internal video recently called "Big Numbers" and its really interesting learning just how much the airline contributes to the country. Its a shame they haven't made it more widely available.
Delete"The whole 'oh we bailed you out' story is so so so over flogged." - but right or wrong that is in the public perception... just as NAC started off with a mandate to provide services to the provinces is still in the public perception... Like it or not there is going to be grieving as Air NZ reshapes its domestic operations. It's not an Air NZ vs Sounds Air - this is just the evolution of the regional airline industry and I think it is going to be an exciting time for all the players
DeleteEvery article, every discussion wherever you look, it's always "them" and "us".
DeleteThe haters and the sensationalised media ensure the public remain offside and uncooperative with air nz.
This is particularly damaging for the future of provincial flying when at every opportunity the operator os slammed.
Everybody neglects to see the bigger picture.
Perhaps... But the way you write you are taking a side, a "them" or "us"...
DeleteWhat we are seeing is the evolution of the domestic aviation and regional air services... The Bay of Plenty realistically doesn't need three airports an hours drive from each other served by the national carrier... Likewise the Far North. As Air NZ restructure their network there is going to be fallout. But as you say Air NZ through its Link carriers have revolutionised air travel in NZ to such a point that the plane has replaced the train or bus in terms of public transport. Because of this centres don't want to lose their services. I think Air NZ does a great job but I would hate to see them be a Jetstar flying just the main trunk. That's why I choose to support Air NZ as much as I can,
To be honest I haven't seen "haters" out there... I admit the media can "sensationalise" to make a story and in the end this misinforms the public but I don't see a massive anti-Air NZ conspiracy out there. I may be wrong...
Take a brief look at any comments section of s sensationalised non event story on air nz and you'll see the often hundreds of nasty comments.
DeleteOr check out the Facebook page for the dozens and dozens of the same comments made by misinformed people who've been fed the hate from bias media
Or just listen in on conversations after say a missed approach due to pilots not being able to see then runway at minima "they've got no balls" and many more expletives. Poor crew sure do cop it regionally.
"She said flying out of Wanganui to Wellington had been "killed" by Air New Zealand flight times for its earlier service which got people into Wellington at 12.30pm with a return flight at 3pm"
ReplyDeleteSo Air New Zealand is responsible for Soundsairs failure?
No... she was saying for many years the Air NZ/Air Nelson services ran at times that didn't suit business travellers from Wanganui so they drove instead... in other words it was never in the mind set of Wanganui-business people to fly. Air NZ wasn't responsible for the Sounds Air failure... The car killed it as did the Eagle Air service.
DeleteThis woman's comment confused me because the most recently run Eagle Air service left WAG sometime around 7.30am from memory. Into WLG a bit after 8am and the evening service left around 7pm, into WAG a bit after 7.30pm. She's altering details to fit what she 'thinks' she remembers.
DeleteNo she's talking historically... Air Nelson and Air NZ Friendship days. Her implication was that both Eagle Air and Sounds Air didn't change the mindset of driving even though there was a service which suited business travellers
DeleteI first flew WAG/WLG in a DC3 in 1961 and I have flown the route occasionally in the following years (both WAG/WLG and the other way). The reality is that it does not work as a business service for people in either centre to reach the other. You can drive it in almost the time that it takes to fly it; the costs (especially taxis in Wellington) make it uneconomic as well. Its main use was if you were going further south from Wellington. But for connections, larger planes, hostesses, better frequency, more direct flights, you could drive to/from PMR in 50 minutes. Most Whanganui people did - now all will. Soundsair could not compete with a single pilot single engine aircraft on which some business people are not allowed to fly, and still more (including me) won't. In my view, Air NZ should get some credit for trying as long as they did.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more, and it's for similar reasons that regional international airports never worked.
DeleteAir NZ and it's link airlines will never receive the credit they duely deserve. Tall poppy syndrome strictly prohibits it. NZ cannot stand successful business
Steve...any details on which aircraft flew final Sounds Air services WLG-WAG-WLG on 15 May?
ReplyDeleteCessna Grand Caravan ZK-SAA under the command of Jason Eteveneaux.
ReplyDeleteThanks Steve
ReplyDelete