Originair's new Westport schedule gives an impression of what the region's air service will look like. Sadly Westport's daily service won't be suitable for business people and it more or less returns to what Air New Zealand offered back in 2015 and before.
Originair will operate flights to and from Westport six days a week, Sunday to Friday with a daily service each day.
Wellington to Westport
Sun and Fri 1430-1530
Mon-Thu 1040-1140
Westport to Wellington
Sun and Fri 1720-1820
Mon-Thu 1230-1330
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An index my posts on air services through Westport can be found here
A post on the last Eagle Air operated Air New Zealand flights to Westport can be found here
A post on the commencement of Sounds Air's flights to Westport can be found here
I wish they'd (anyone) would do flights from Christchurch to Westport. I have to drive there for work because i can't justify flying to Wellington and then back to Westport. The other issue is since Covid there are no rental car companies based out of Westport, so you can fly there, but then have to either rely on taxi's or people you know in the region.
ReplyDeleteI rent cars at WSZ all the time since Covid. Its not cheap, but meh.
DeleteEagle and Coastair both used to fly between WSZ and CHC. Even with Solid Energys backing of Eagles flights, there just wasn't enough bums on seats. With no Holcim anymore, and mining not what it was back then, we won't see any WSZ-CHC flights in the future.
Terrible times. I dont think it will last long.
ReplyDeleteAlso from memory Origin are not RNP (GPS)approved? So they will have have to do the NDB approach in there on the bad days. That wont be much fun...
ReplyDeleteCrap. Didn't know that. Yeeaaaaahhhh that's going to make things interesting. That NDB approach can be feral.
DeleteI kinda feel like services to WSZ could be doomed in only a matter of time. The schedule is horrid, catering really ONLY to leisure traveller's (which the WSZ market does have, but really only a small proportion).
Lead in prices on Origin are $199 compared to Sounds Airs $169. Sounds regularly have promotions and sales, Origin never have/do.
The J32 is a big jump over the PC12. Double the seats, double the engines and double the Crew = double the operating costs. There is just no way you will fill 18 seats on flights scheduled at those times.