New Whangarei Service Gets Airborne

Fly My Sky launched their Auckland-Whangarei service this morning. The airline will operate two return flights each weekday using the company's Britten Norman Islanders. The first flight was operated in ZK-SFK.

The northbound flight, FS3069 and the southbound flight, FS5076, used the callsign ISLAND 2K. The afternoon flights were also operated by BN Islander ZK-SFK.

Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones says the new flight service between Auckland and Whangarei will bring more accessibility to the region at a lower cost. Jones says the new flights are the competition needed to boost tourism and accessibility to the region. "Let's take a look at Kaitāia, Air NZ stopped the flight to and from there.  If we have this kind of competition then we'd have more tourism, more accessibility and at a lower cost," says Jones. Local MP Shane Reti also says the move will grow the region's Māori tourism potential. "Bringing more tourists to Whangarei through an improved schedule...that has to be good for iwi business, for Māori tourism," says Reti. On some occasions, flights on Air NZ can cost over $300 but the Fly My Sky flights can go from $99. Air New Zealand told te Kāea they have invested significantly in Northland, for instance, increasing seat capacity into Whangarei by 22 percent. The airline says they are well-placed to compete on the Auckland-Whangarei and wish Fly My Sky the best with their services.

Source and there is a video clip of the first flight arriving at : http://www.maoritelevision.com/news/regional/new-air-service-gives-opportunity-northland

A new commercial airline has landed its first passengers in Whangarei on Monday. It was the first flight of what will be two return flights daily from Auckland, Monday to Friday. Fly My Sky, a family-owned airline, has operated from Auckland for 38 years and has expanded into Whangarei. Chief executive and co-owner Keith McKenzie said: "Our company has considered the possibility of expanding into other areas for some time and Whangarei presented the best opportunity for us with the aircraft we currently operate." Fly My Sky own four 10-seater Britten-Norman Islander aircraft which are slightly slower than those operated by competitor Air New Zealand, but McKenzie says with the short distance between centres should only add another four minutes to the 35-minute flight. Fly My Sky aims to give more competitive rates and flight options which the company believes will better suit some people. "We are not trying to be all things to all people, just provide some extra scheduled options which once were available but have disappeared with the larger aircraft." Whangarei MP Dr Shane Reti was on board the inaugural Fly My Sky flight with the company's chief executive and co-owner Keith McKenzie. Whangarei MP Dr Shane Reti was on board the inaugural Fly My Sky flight with the company's chief executive and co-owner Keith McKenzie. The inaugural flight with Whangarei MP Dr Shane Reti aboard encountered a strong headwind on the trip north which delayed arrival by just over five minutes. "However, the reverse happened on the flight back to Auckland, we had a tail wind which allowed us to arrive slightly early into Auckland," McKenzie says. "The weather was very overcast and drizzly to start but we were greeted by a beautiful blue sky and sunny on our arrival into Whangarei – I hope this is a great omen for our service to Whangarei going forward. If we find the public is prepared to support the services we are currently offering we will look very seriously at providing other schedule operations and times in the future. We certainly think a third flight could be viable." Reti says it was a pleasure to be on the inaugural flight. "The decision to fly into Whangarei is sensible with a city growing at twice its historical growth rate and with gaps in the incumbents schedule. Whangarei people will benefit from more people, greater choice and increased productivity hours from those who are visiting."

Source : https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/108185004/new-airline-carrier-boosts-whangarei-flight-schedule-options



The owner of a small airline that introduced flights to and from Whangārei is unfazed by a lack of booking on its inaugural flight, blaming it on a lack of advertising. Fly My Sky chief executive Keith McKenzie and Whangārei MP Dr Shane Reti were the only passengers on the first flight that landed on a beautiful day in Whangārei at 7.43am yesterday. Whangārei retiree Peter Mills was the sole passenger booked on the return flight that departed at 8.25am. The Auckland-based airline operates from the City of Sails to Great Barrier Island and Whangārei on its 10-seater Britten Norman Islander twin-engine planes. Fly My Sky is advertising fares from Auckland to Whangārei of $99 one-way with a 23kg bag. The airline flies into Whangārei twice daily from Monday to Friday. McKenzie said he expected bookings to "ramp up" as they headed towards the busy summer and festive season. "We haven't done much advertising as we prefer to keep it a little bit quieter rather than making a big song and dance about our entry into Whangārei but I'd expect bookings to pick up as we go along,'' he said.
"We may add another flight as Air New Zealand's late flight is fairly booked but we'll decide that further down the track. Looking forward, I think we have a reasonable future ahead of us. We expected a slow beginning." McKenzie said the $99 fare would remain until Christmas. Lone passenger Peter Mills of Whangārei who was making a day trip to Auckland for coffee and to see a sick friend, said any competition on the route was fantastic, although he felt Air New Zealand provided a good service. "More competition means flights are more frequent and reliable and the fares are low. I just love the fact that it's the inaugural flight and the fare is good." Reti welcomed the new airline, which he said would be able to fill the gaps created by Air New Zealand. "When people come to Whangārei, they can be productive. They can arrive in time for breakfast, start work and get back to Auckland in time to avoid the traffic." Air New Zealand chief executive Chris Luxon has welcomed competition on the Auckland to Whangārei route. Another airline, Sunair, operates between Whangārei, Great Barrier Island, Hamilton and Tauranga based on demand and plans to open a flight training in Whangārei this year.

Source : https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503450&objectid=12150641