Kia Ora,
We’re writing to let you know about an important change to our network.
After careful consideration, Air Chathams will suspend its scheduled services between Auckland and Paraparaumu on the Kāpiti Coast, with the final flights operating on 31 July 2026.
This has been a very difficult decision for my team and I to make, but it is the only responsible path for the family-owned airline to take without affecting the viability of its other routes, including its lifeline service to the Chatham Islands.
We know how valued this service is by our customers, providing a direct connection between the Kāpiti Coast and Auckland for both business and leisure travel. I was reminded of this firsthand over the past few days as I spoke personally with some of our frequent flyers. After eight years of service, we are incredibly proud to have supported and connected the region since 2018.
However, over time it has become increasingly challenging to operate this route sustainably. Like many regional airlines, we have seen significant cost increases across all areas of our business, including aircraft maintenance, labour, airport charges, air traffic services, compliance, and most recently, fuel. The result is that this route is no longer commercially sustainable, and it is costing us money every time we fly.
We understand this news will be disappointing, and we sincerely apologise for the impact this may have on your travel plans.
What this means for you:
A reduced schedule between Auckland and Paraparaumu will operate until 31 July 2026.
If you have an existing booking beyond this date, our team will contact you to discuss your options.
Aircraft currently serving Kāpiti will be redeployed across our wider network, helping us maintain reliable services to the regional communities we continue to serve, including the Chatham Islands, Whakatāne and Whanganui.
While we are stepping away for now, this is not something we do lightly. We would welcome the opportunity to return to the Kāpiti Coast in the future if conditions allow.
Thank you for your support of our Kāpiti Coast service over the past eight years. It has been a privilege to connect with your community.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact our customer service team – nzreservations@airchathams.co.nz or 0800 359 669.
Ngā Mihi,
Duane Emeny, Chief Executive Officer
Kapiti was always a risk. Unlike Whanganui and Whakatane, Kapiti is close to Wellington where there is, and always has been, an on and off fare war between Air NZ and Qantas/Jetstar on the WLG-AKL route. My inbox is drowning in ultra cheap fare deals. Kapiti is a drivable distance from WLG, made more so by Transmission Gully, and whist there are costs and more expensive parking these have become significantly less than the difference in fares. The Kapiti situation is also a case of de-ja-vu as this was the main reason Air NZ dropped Kapiti in the first place.
ReplyDeleteWhakatane and Whanganui don't have this scenario as there is no competition with Air NZ at Tauranga and Palmerston North respectively. Whakatane is already in Air NZ's timetable for connectivity and Whanganui can't be far away. I suspect Air NZ would have delayed adding Kaptiti as long as it could.
So where to for Kapiti? Possible opportunity for Originair?
I doubt Origin Air has the planes to do PPQ AKL but it would be good if they maybe look into it
DeleteA J32 costs the same to operate as Saab. Origin would still face the same AFIS costs as Air Chats too. Plus would require Origin to base/ferry an aircraft to PPQ. Nope, will never happen
DeleteI'd argue that Air NZs patronage for Kapiti was actually quite solid going off Steve's personal accounts/posts on here and also posters (some who obviously work for Air NZ) on airliners net, during the period that the service was operating and many were surprised when Air NZ pulled its service... Some with (insider information) Pointing out at there were services that were actually worse performing than Kapiti.
DeleteAir NZ had grown the service in the short time it operated into Kapiti to then start flights to Christchurch.
I'd argue that the real reason behind Air NZ dropping the route, which coincided with Eagle air being shut down. Was that Air NZ needed those Q300s on those affected networks where the B1900 supplemented the Q300s or destinations that had both types operating. Routes like Auckland to Rotorua that already had Q300 operating out of the airport, Kerikeri and Tauranga, examples of airports that had both types operating on the same route.
Air NZ needed to use the Kapiti Q300s on those affected B1900 routes... hence why Kapiti was withdrawn in my honest opinion.
I feel that Kapiti has huge potential and I just cannot understand our kiwi logic and poor understanding of basic economic of...
Getting a cheap $50 flight from Wellington or Palmerston North but traveling an hour to get there, money spent on fuel, money spent on having to pay for a carpark, money spent on accm but... The most criminally underrated but most significant cost of them all... Personal time....
You would certainly not work for free... Why do you want to sell your own personal time at nothing... for a cheap $50 flight, two hours you will never get back, even if it is on a train. Why wake up at 4am stressed out with a horrible dream of missing the alarm when you can get out of bed at 7am and rock on up to the airport 30 min before departure..
Apart from covid. The biggest hurdle/hindrance IMHO was the fact that Air NZ offered no support for Air Chats in the form of interlined network, domestic would have been good enough but had Air chats had international access.... That could have been the golden ticket..
Then there is the argument of ATC costs, landing fees and the like.. Should we as in our local councils and government be running these services to make a profit or should they be running these critical pieces of infrastructure at a loss and using the actual revenue (pasengers) that, in the case of Air chats, brings to the community by operating flights
Not true. Air NZ/Air Nelson pulled out of PPQ well after Eagle was shut down. I moved across to Air Nelson to work when Eagle was shut. Patronage on the AKL-PPQ route had dropped dramatically, and after a year or losses, it wasn't sustainable. That's the reason Air Nelson left. And it is false to say Air NZ offered no support for Air Chathams. Much the opposite. Like WHK and WAG before it, Air NZ offered excellent support to transition Air Chathams into the route, especially with the likes of equipment ect. It takes time and a lot of money to implement a interline. Its not a simple process.
DeleteGood luck getting $50 flights out of PMR or WLG. Those days are long gone, and I very much doubt will return.
Fras isn’t completely wrong in what they’re saying.
DeleteI worked for the airline (Nelson) during the entirety of the PP operation.
The comment regarding aircraft being available to replace 1900 routes was an issue. This impacted the schedule and demise for CH-WB among others. Just didn’t have the fleet to make it all work. The fleet was really stretched. Around 1100 flights per week, over 2 million annual passengers flown. The fleet was flying a lot harder then than it is now in 2026.
But, as anonymous said above, Eagle was not the reason for PP being withdrawn.
Jetstar entered the regional network. Management were keen to prioritise not cancelling sectors where JQ competed.
This impacted cancellation rates on PP, where pax could be accommodated easily on WN airbus flights. This became a target for the operations staff. This impacts passenger demand.
The prime time flights were very very well supported, full both ways most days. Anything other than prime time however was poor. Very poor, it just wouldn’t grow outside of prime time.
The airline eventually decided the aircraft would be reallocated to operate a ‘min rest’ AA-NR overnight, instead of ‘min rest’ AA-PP. Ending PP operations.
Adding capacity into NR to compete with JQ was the priority.
As was the end of WU, while it was getting okay numbers, it wasn’t booming and JQ had started competing at PM, not long after WU transitioned from Eagle, the focus turned to consolidating and competing at PM.
PP-CH was trialled for a while. It wasn’t prime time so it competed with WN-CH off peak leisure demand. Average loads in the 20s. Had it been a dedicated second overnight aircraft with a prime time departure it may have also been full. Ultimately the airline was competing with itself.
Disclaimer / no longer flying
Whakatane interline is now unable to be booked on the air Nz website
ReplyDeleteNegative. Still bookable via the Air NZ website with dates well into next year.
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