14 January 2016

Auckland Airport Hopper


Barrier Air has announced that it will offer City Hopper flights between North Shore Airport at Dairy Flat and Auckland International from 1 February 2016. As the Barrier Air's Facebook page explains, "Why waste precious time in traffic, pay for parking, or even worse pay over $100 for a taxi??"

Two return flights will be operated on weekdays as follows.

NOR-AKL     Dep 0700 Arr 0725
AKL-NOR     Dep 0800 Arr 0825
NOR-AKL     Dep 1730 Arr 1755
AKL-NOR     Dep 1820 Arr 1845

Fares range from a no-change fare of $79 to a fully flexible fare of $99

Bookings can be made at www.barrierair.kiwi or by calling 0800 900 600 


23 comments:

  1. Oh this is soo not going to end well!! The stupidity of it has me shaking my head!

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  2. They should start a Hamilton to AKL flight as well.

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  3. Sunair has already announced that they will start NOR to HLZ, TRG and ROT flights on 1 February 2016... http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2015/12/sunairs-announces-new-route.html

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  4. Doubtful any of these will be long term. The reality is that driving is still cheaper, and savvy airport users know where cheap parking is available at NZAA.

    Furthermore, people will be needing assurance the flight will operate into NZNE, as it is really a VFR airfield for ATO.

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  5. according to google, 90 min drive HN-AA (airport-airport)

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  6. Driving south from North Shore for a 9.00 am meeting in Hamilton... more than 90 minutes!

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    1. The person wrote HN-AA so that is Auckland International not North Shore to Hamilton which is ofcourse is much longer.

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  7. Routes (including HLZ) won't last. The public have become accustomed to flying in modern aircraft. The Aztecs are old, and Barrier will end up sending PA31 or P68 if the loads don't fit for a 208

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    1. Auckland to North Shore I have doubts over. Hamilton could potentially work in the Caravan, but they have a long way to go convincing the public they are a reputable & safe airline unfortunately. And of course,- turning up in a banged up old Chieftain with paint flaking off, oil stains and speed tape is not going to help much with the required convincing !

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    2. Funny you mention that aeroplane convincing thing. Last summer my wife, daughter and I traveled up to a friends bach on Great Barrier Island - via Auckland. We were booked on great barrier airlines and when we went out on the tarmac my wife was actually shocked at the state of the plane (was a PA31) When she first saw it she actually thought it was a farmers private plane or something just visiting, it had no distinct markings or anything, missing paint etc as mentioned above. I have a background in engineering in a very previous life in the RNZAF and it looked ok to me,- bit shabby but nothing obviously unsafe. I thought the trip over was great, rather comfortable, the pilot was a great chap to talk to as well. Anyway when we got on the island there were two Islanders from flymysky there for whatever reason and my wife said we were going back to Auckland with them because they looked a bit more professional. I didn't think so, they just had a bit of paint and a livery on their planes,- still were a little shabby also. But the wife had her mind made up and needless to say the trip home was less comfortable. We are going back up there in a fortnight but the wife is booking us on flymysky which is a shame for me as I really wouldn't mind going in the C208B. Never been in one before.

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    3. A pity indeed... Two things,

      Since last year Barrier Air has gone under new management and they are tidying everything up... http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2015/08/barrier-air-new-name-to-barrier-and.html

      And their Caravan is great... http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2015/12/gb-3-akl-gbi-akl.html

      As for me, Fly My Sky is the only airline offering scheduled services in NZ I haven't flown on!

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  8. what market would be trying to use this? i would guess if you wanted to link to a welly or chch flight for a days work, south bound is prob OK but north bound might be too early? i think even 30mins connection at Auckland would be tight?

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  9. Taupo has been getting some good loads with the q300 counted 48 last week and 42 today

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    1. You have to keep in mind that these Q300 services have been operating on a Sunday. When they take over the Taupo route, their weekday schedule will not suit business people. I think what they need to do is overnight a Q300 in Taupo. There's not a lot of reason to come to Taupo for business - it's more a tourist destination but people still need to do business in Auckland where all the big companies base out of. I also think the Hamilton route (to Auckland) being dropped is not right. It is cheaper to drive to Auckland from Hamilton with the price that Air NZ sometimes has - prices as high as $163 but nobody will pay that when they can drive cheaply. Air NZ has got the Hamilton route wrong and as a result they won't have a chance at a Q300 service which would bring cheap fares similar to the price of driving. This is where Air NZ needs to step back and think. They should fly TUO to AKL via HLZ in the morning and return at late afternoon/night then overnight the aircraft. Air NZ is never going fill a Q300 without picking up extras from Hamilton where some people actually want the service to be kept. I compare this situation to Wanganui. They have been serviced by the beechcraft for a long time but the difference is they overnight their aircraft. You can be im Auckland at 8am and be back at 7:35pm and have a full days business. I notice looking at the Air NZ website that their schedule is not changing when they change to Q300's. This really is a success story because of the overnighting of the aircraft which ultimately enables for passengers to use the service. When Taupo gets their Q300's full time, Taupo will become a lost cause. Just a thought.

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    2. Theres only 23 Q300's, not enough to give everyone what they wanted, initially.

      You need to be absolutely sure you're placing each $20 million asset onto the right prime time route to make the most return and shift the most number of people.

      Once more ATR's come into the network, it will free up Q300's to perhaps do that wanted HKK and TUO overnighter.

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  10. Maybe back onto WLG/TUO?

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    1. I was out Taupo airport the on Friday night last week and there were 7 people + pilot who got off the WLG-TUO flight.

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    2. thats great - good to see service getting supported

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    3. Eagle needed 16, many flights had 1's and 2's.
      Some even went empty to pick up a handful on the return.

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  11. Yea Sounds Air needed 3 to break even and they're getting 2.3 times that! Hope they keep it up!

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    1. I would imagine they would need more than 3 to break even... but 3 or under is subsidised by the Buller or Taupo District Councils

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  12. 3 sounds about right, $900 and hour

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