Final Taupō Flights

 

Sounds Air flew its final services to Taupō today, the 31st of December 2024. The final flights, S8 804, from Wellington to Taupō, and S8 805, from Taupō to Wellington were flown in Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLZ under the command of Na'ama Gueta.

Taupō flight movements, Friday afternoon, 31 December 2024

Sounds Air's Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLZ arrives at Taupō with a full load on the airline's last flight from Wellington, S8 804, on 31 December 2024

Sounds Air's Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLZ ready to board its 3 passengers at Taupō with the airline's last flight to Wellington, S8 8045, on 31 December 2024

Soon to be rebranded as Originair's... the Sounds Air check in...

Sounds Air had been operating the Wellington-Taupō route since the 2nd of June 2015. On that day Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLZ positioned from Blenheim to Taupō early in the morning before operating SDA  803 to Wellington under the command of Sounds Air's Chief Pilot Willie Sage and Craig Anderson.

A damp day for the launch of Sounds Air's service to Wellington - Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLZ at Taupō on 2 June 2015

When announcing the decision to withdraw its Taupō service in November Sounds Air's CEO Andrew Crawford told Radio New Zealand, While demand for flights was strong, costs were too high. "Decisions like this are not taken lightly. This has been a very tough call for management and our shareholders," he said. "We have done everything that we can to avoid cancelling these services." Crawford said the company could not pass on massive fare increases or have shareholders subsidise services indefinitely." The Wellington to Taupō route was the last the company would can, Crawford said.

Originair pick up the Wellington-Taupō route from 17 February 2025 with three flights per week.

Sounds Air's Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLT waiting for its afternoon service to Wellington... taken at Taupō on 30 October 2020

Sounds Air's corporate Pilatus PC12 ZK-PLZ at Taupō on 22 February 2021