Heading for Kaitaia or Auckland for the weekend?

Barrier Air is continuing to experience increasing passenger numbers on its Auckland-Kaitaia service. Due to the demand the airline is adding an additional Friday evening service to and from Kaitaia as required. Whenever the 1815 departure is full the airline will add an 1830 departure from Auckland. The expanded service will start from 27 September 2019.

The Friday evening schedule will be:

1815 AA-KT
1830 AA-KT*

1935- KT-AA
2000- KT-AA*

*As the first flight gets full, we will put on the second flight on a as required basis.

Second Saab for Air Rarotonga

A second Saab 340B Plus 34 passenger turbo-prop will be added to the Air Rarotonga fleet by mid-October 2019. The aircraft was previously operated by Japan Airlines subsidiary JAC and is presently undergoing maintenance in the USA in preparation for its delivery flight to Rarotonga and induction into the Airline’s fleet. The new aircraft will add capacity initially to the Rarotonga-Aitutaki route with plans underway for the operation of some regional flights to Tahiti and Niue. Discussions are also being held with the Cook Islands Government regarding a future upgrade of Northern Group runways to facilitate scheduled operation of the larger aircraft there. Saab operations into the Northern Group will substantially reduce the cost of travel and provide access for specialized small-scale tourism to the North. Founded in 1978, Air Rarotonga celebrated 40 years of inter-island air service in 2018.

Air Rarotonga's first B model Saab 340, E5-SMW. Photos Air Rarotonga

Colourful ATRs

A BIG thanks to Terry Hodges for these magnificent pics of visiting ATRs in Nelson... and Terry, sorry it has taken so long to post them... I have been on the road a lot

On 27 August 2019 Air Caledonie ATR TPC7202 F-OZNO arrived direct into Nelson from Noumea .

A great view of the new Nelson terminal... it looks like a larger version of Hokitika!

On 3 September 2019 Virgin Australia ATR 72-600 VH-VPI arrived into Nelson direct from Canberra as VOZ9946

INFLITE Acquires Skydive Fox Glacer

INFLITE, one of New Zealand’s leading aviation tourism companies, has continued its expansion in the adventure tourism market with the acquisition of Skydive Fox Glacier. The new businesses complements existing skydive operations Skydive Abel Tasman, Skydive Mt Cook and Skydive Franz Josef. The acquisition of Skydive Fox Glacier adds a dedicated and experienced team of skydive professionals to the existing INFLITE team, along with a Fletcher PC-24 to the fleet, which includes helicopters and fixed wing aircraft nationwide. INFLITE prides itself on people, and like all previous acquisitions, all Skydive Fox staff will be welcomed into the INFLITE Family. INFLITE has merged Skydive Fox Glacier with their existing West Coast skydive operation, Skydive Franz Josef. The new company will operate as Skydive Franz Josef & Fox Glacier, retaining drop zones in both locations. Customer experience will be improved with customers checking in from a central location on the main road of Franz Josef and they’ll also benefit from an expanded product offering, including NZ’s highest skydive – 20,000ft. INFLITE acquired Skydive Franz Josef in 2018 and the business has performed strongly since then leading to INFLITE expanding skydive operations – initially with the purchase of Skydive Abel Tasman, then the announcement of Skydive Mt. Cook and now the acquisition of Skydive Fox Glacier. Skydive Mt. Cook will open in October 2019 in a brand-new purpose-built facility at Pukaki Airport. INFLITE has operated Mount Cook Ski Planes and Helicopters since 2015. INFLITE CEO Adam Joyce says, “We’re thrilled to welcome the team at Skydive Fox into the INFLITE family. The merging of the Skydive Fox and Skydive Franz teams is an exciting development for everyone involved in our West Coast business. This acquisition reinforces our commitment to the region which we plan to further develop over the coming 12 months. Skydive Fox brings with it an extremely successful, customer focused strategy, which fits perfectly with our drive to maintain NPS scores in excess of 90 across our operations. INFLITE has been through a period of considerable growth, so it’s very important we acknowledge the efforts of our people who continue to work tirelessly in providing our customers with unforgettable experiences.” This exciting development is the latest in a string of announcements for INFLITE and comes on the back of INFLITE’s selection as a finalist in the NZ Tourism Awards in the Sustainable Business Excellence Award and a finalist in the Westpac Champion Canterbury Business Awards as a finalist in the Champion Service Delivery category. INFLITE are proudly Qualmark Gold.

Source : INFLITE News Release

Spring Flights

Air Chathams have announced special flights for Whanganui and Kāpiti residents wanting to attend the U2 and Metalica concerts later in the year.

In addition extra spring flights are being added between Whanganui and Auckland. On selected dates in September and October an additional return flight will be offered on Fridays. From the 1st of November until the 20th of December an additional return flight will be offered on Fridays.

These extra flights will depart Auckland at noon and arrive in Whanganui at 1.00pm with the northbound flight departing at 1:25pm and in Auckland arriving at 2:25pm. The additional flights will be operated by Saab 340s with the ATR 72 being redeployed on the Tauck Tour flights.

Saab Plans for Whakatāne

With the completion of Whakatāne Airport's RESA (runway end safety area, that is, "the surface surrounding the runway prepared or suitable for reducing the risk of damage to airplanes in the event of an undershoot, overshoot, or excursion from the runway.") Air Chathams is in the process of preparing for peak time Saab services to the eastern Bay of Plenty town. This was noted in the Air Chathams' September Update where a report was given on Air Chathams' attendance at Whakatāne's  Beacon Business and Lifestyle Show... 

Gray Tinley, our Customer Service Manager and Lyn Cheyne, our Marketing Manager both represented Air Chathams in Whakatāne.  It was great to see people who use the service regularly and receive a number of compliments about the airline....  

The questions we were asked the most were - when will Air Chathams fly to Wellington from Whakatāne? and when is the "big plane" coming?  Gray and Lyn could only say there were no plans for flights to Wellington and that plans were being put into place currently to introduce the Saab 340 before the end of the year.

The Saab 340 will be used only on the flights with the highest levels of demand (late Friday and early Saturday morning are a couple scheduled already) and seats double the number of passengers at 36.  It is a turbo-prop aircraft crewed by two pilots and one flight attendant and travels a little faster than the current Metroliner at 470km per hour.  (And it has a toilet on board).

Keep an eye out as it won't be long until you see our bigger aircraft over the Bay of the Plenty as we fly in to Whakatāne's heritage airport.

Not a Saab - but at last a decent full sun photo of Metro 23 ZK-POF at Whakatāne on 7 September 2019.

Whakatāne Yesterday

Departing east from Whakatāne on 6 September 2019 was a very smart looking Cessna 206 ZK-JCS

Vans RV-3 ZK-WCO on the taxi to the hangar at Whakatāne on 6 September 2019 after some aerobatics

Vans RV-7A ZK-RFX about to do an engine run up at Whakatāne on 6 September 2019

Operating the Air Chathams late afternoon flight from and to Auckland was Fairchild Metro 23 ZK-POF.
Photos taken at Whakatāne on 6 September 2019 

New Zealand's Newest International Airline

Air Chathams commences its first international service today as it begins flights between Auckland and Norfolk Island. The new route will be serviced by Air Chathams' Convair 580 aircraft. The weekly service is being operated on Fridays with the flights scheduled to take 2 hours 20 minutes. The flight to Norfolk Island, 3C 401, will depart Auckland at 9am and arriving at 10.20am Norfolk Island time. The return flight, 3C 402, will leave Norfolk Island at 11.20am and arrive back into Auckland at 2.40pm. 

The first flight was flown under the command of founder and owner Craig Emeny and his son, Duane Emeny, Air Chathams' General Manager in Convair ZK-CIB.

Auckland Airport congratulates Air Chathams on first international flight

Auckland Airport has welcomed Air Chatham’s first international flight to Norfolk Island today. With the service to operate once a week, the first flight was piloted by founder and owner Craig Emeny and his son, Duane Emeny, General Manager of Air Chathams. “We are really excited to re-establish the direct link between Auckland and Norfolk Island and we are really encouraged by the early interest we’ve had from passengers, with forward bookings indicating it’s going to be another successful route for our family airline,” says Duane Emeny, General Manager, Air Chathams. Scott Tasker, Auckland Airport’s General Manager Aeronautical Commercial, says the new service is great news for travellers, adding more choice and capacity. “With a flight time of just over two hours, the direct flight will enable travellers to experience a pristine tourism destination and provide freight opportunities for locals, with the new year-round service offering over 5,000 seats on the route per year. “Since Air Chathams began regular mainland New Zealand services in 2015, it has seen rapid growth, now flying to eight destinations and carrying over 100,000 people per year. We look forward to seeing Air Chathams continue to grow and provide the much-valued service of linking New Zealand communities, and now Norfolk Island, together,” adds Mr Tasker.

Source : Press Release: Auckland Airport

On the Auckland Airport website departures board for this morning

Masterton - Index of Posts

The following links gives histories of airlines that have operated regular air services to Masterton

1955-1958

https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2025/03/airlift-nz-and-its-air-service-to.html

Post not written

1966-1968

https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2023/02/mastertons-two-year-nac-service.html

1968

https://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2020/12/sky-travel-nz-brave-new-feeder-operator.html

1980

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com/2020/12/in-shadow-of-ruahine-and-tararua-ranges.html

1981-1997

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2010/11/wairarapa-airlines-revisited.html

2002

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2010/11/air-wairarapa-and-air-kapiti.html

2004-2005

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2015/03/air2there-city-hopper-air-service.html

2009-2014

Masterton Service

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2014/02/au-revoir-masterton.html

For a full history of Eagle Air that operated the Masterton service see

http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2013/01/eagle-airways-part-1-fledgling-eagle.html

New owner

Following last years death of Glenorchy Air's founder and owner Robert Rutherford, the company has been purchased by Queenstown based company Stokes Aviation as of 1 July 2019. The Cessna 172 (ZK-RNX) is being sold and a factory new Cessna 206HD will be joining the fleet in December.

Stokes Aviation Ltd is owned by James, Richard and Shelley Stokes. James flies for Genorchy Air and is the company's training captain, helps with maintenance planning and is also our CAA flight examiner. 

Direct Auckland-Invercargill Service Takes Off

A flight's usual snack of tea and biscuits was replaced with Speights and Southland cheese as the first direct flight from Auckland to Invercargill took off on Sunday. The inaugural flight would take 171 passengers including mayors, politicians, Iwi and business executives to the southernmost city in the Commonwealth, in New Zealand's longest domestic service. Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon said said the service has seen so much support from the community that it would not be run as a trial phase. Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt, his son Declan, 7, Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon, Minister for regional development Shane Jones, and Southland District Mayor Gary Tong wait to board the inaugural direct flight from Auckland to Invercargill.  "We seen enough to say we have the right level of support and as a consequence, we would manage it like any other service." The service has seen up to 20,000 tickets sold, with two-thirds of that coming from Southland, Luxon said. Southlander Lindsay Rowley made the trip to Auckland via Christchurch on Sunday, so he could turn around and be aboard the first direct flight home. Rowley owns a bus company and wanted to check out the direct flight experience his clients would have. Air New Zealand regional affairs manager Reuben Levermore said it had been a goal for Southland to have this flight for years. The Southland community had shown a lot of support from Invercargill Airport getting the airport ready for the service and Great South driving tourism down Southland, he said. Great South chairman and former Air New Zealand regional affairs manager Ian Collier said the first flight marked a significant moment personally, to experience the flight coming to fruition through two different companies. One of the immediate benefits of the service would come from the connectivity Southland businesses would have to Auckland, Collier said. It was important to note how beneficial it would be to be able to leave Invercargill in the morning, spend a whole day doing business and be back home in one day, he said. As someone who lived in Auckland and travelled back and forth to Invercargill weekly, the service would be beneficial on a personal note, he said.  The next step would be to encourage Southland businesses to make the most of the export opportunities the service would provide, so the planes were not just carrying people, he said. Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt said the new service would be a terrific morale booster for Invercargill and the wider Southland region. The direct flights would compliment the other work that was happening in the city such as the opening of Kmart and the new ILT hotel, Shadbolt said. The flight would open more opportunities for business and tourism with destinations such Stewart Island being more viable and the benefits to export, he said. "I'd imagine a lot more crayfish and Bluff oysters will be exported up north, that's for sure." Southland District Council Mayor Gary Tong said it was brilliant to see the service up and running for tourism and export. "I'm already hearing that the two-hour flight is better than the fours so the opportunities for Aucklanders to get to Southland is just fantastic." Invercargill Airport general manager Nigel Finnerty said changes made to the airport had been completed for the flight, with the last commissioning test completed on Friday. Among those on the flight was regional economic development minister Shane Jones, who announced a Growth Provincial Fund boost to the Invercargill CBD. "It's a happy day for Invercargill and the wider Southland district." The first flight from Invercargill to Auckland will depart at 6am on Monday. The service will be delivered five days a week, departing Invercargill to Auckland on Mondays, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and a Saturday flight departing at 9.15am. Flights arrive in Invercargill on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays at 9.35pm.

Source : https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/115186979/inaugural-direct-flight-from-auckland-to-invercargill-takes-off

The first flight from Auckland to Invercargill, NZ699, was operated by Airbus 320 ZK-OAB

The age-old question of competing with the national carrier

This is an interesting article that once again raises the age-old question of competing with the national carrier. 

This blog records the history of airlines that have tried to compete with the national carrier (and have failed) and those who have found a niche.

Of course there are those who will knock the national carrier - but they, like any airline, have to make a profit. And a small airline using small aircraft can't offer the same sort of fares. 

So is there a solution to a competitive regional air service???

Jetstar pulling its Hawke's Bay service would be a "disaster", claims one Hastings District Councillor. Speculation is swirling that Jetstar may stop regional services, including Hawke's Bay, after it was revealed the carrier is making a loss on provincial services. Simon Nixon, who has been a longtime advocate for better air services into the region, said Jetstar pulling Hawke's Bay flights was one of his worst fears. "If it happens it will be a disaster. My experience of Air New Zealand is, given a monopoly, they will exploit it for all it's worth." He said there had been a 50 per cent increase in passengers at Hawke's Bay Airport since Jetstar introduced flights to the Bay in late 2015. "The numbers are about quarter of a million extra passengers." He said Hawke's Bay is isolated, and in order to compete with other cities around New Zealand for events such as conferences, the airport needed to remain competitive. "Like it or not, you're pushing it to do five hours to Auckland, six or seven is probably a better estimate, four to Wellington." "We're competing with places like Rotorua, from Auckland you can get there in maybe two hours." He said councils need to be looking at the issue and come up with a strategy to make sure it doesn't happen. "And we need to be talking to New Plymouth, Whanganui and Nelson as well, all of whom could be similarly affected." Air Napier chief executive Shah Aslam said he was watching the situation with interest. Currently Air Napier flies between Napier and Gisborne, with plans to do more region-to-region flights in the future. Aslam said if the space opened up for them to fly between Napier and Auckland, which is the current Jetstar route, it is definitely something they would consider. Flights would not be as cheap as the current Jetstar flights however, as Aslam said they were not looking to make the same mistakes. He said they wanted to focus more on customer service, rather than offering cheap flights around the $30 mark. Nixon was sceptical about the ability for a smaller carrier to compete with Air New Zealand. "The whole history of Air New Zealand is if a weaker competitor arises on the scene they just put them out of business. "They either buy them out, as they did with Air Nelson and other small airlines ... or alternatively they drive them out of business."

Source : https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&objectid=12261201

Loss Making Regions

Budget carrier Jetstar is "loss-making" on its regional services in New Zealand and "market conditions are being monitored closely," parent company Qantas told investors today. Regional flights are defined on the Jetstar NZ website as services to Napier, Nelson, New Plymouth and Palmerston North, raising the spectre of service cuts to regional centres of a similar kind to those that have landed national carrier Air New Zealand in political hot water in the past. The Qantas results, released to the Australian Stock Exchange this morning, offer no other detail on New Zealand services. Air NZ, which claims around 80 per cent of the domestic travel market, has in the past suggested that Jetstar - which also services the main centres and Queenstown as well as flying the Tasman - makes no money in New Zealand. The Qantas group result bore similarities to the earnings announced earlier today by Air NZ, in that both airlines saw profits dented by a combination of higher jet fuel costs and softening demand for both domestic and international travel. 

For the full article see : https://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?objectid=12261025

A 100,000 passenger airline

Provincial airline Sunair Aviation has recently celebrated carrying its 100,000th passenger and it happened on a flight from Gisborne to Hamilton. The milestone comes after 34 years in the aviation business for the company. “It’s a feat that is not easy to come by for a regional domestic airline,” said Sunair managing director Daniel Power. The company started with one aircraft and has now grown that into a fleet of 10 Piper Aztecs. “For 22 of those 34 years Sunair Aviation has called Gisborne one of its most popular destinations, and is one of the airline’s bases,” Mr Power said. It also operates a base in Whangarei, with its main base in Tauranga. “We’re very proud to reach an achievement like this as a privately-owned operator. “We’re fortunate to have a team of highly-trained pilots, engineers and administrators to continue the growth of the company. “We look forward to offering the same great airline service to our passengers for years to come,” Mr Power said. Sunair operates five days a week offering same-day return flights to both Tauranga and Hamilton from Gisborne. “The route is an essential and popular link for the numerous Gisborne enterprises that conduct business or connect in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty. “It is also popular with leisure travellers and, by linking with Sunair’s other services, offers a gateway to the Coromandel, Great Barrier Island and the Far North.” Mr Power said by tapping into a niche in the market for air travel, Sunair had been able to offer direct flights to locations that larger airlines cannot. “This combined with a flexible flight schedule has meant we have maintained a safe service to the regional cities over more years than any other privately-owned operator.” Sunair has also obtained status as an approved, preferred air operator for “All of Government” personnel issued by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) in Wellington. “After going through a tender process, 12 months of due diligence, a 50-page questionnaire and multiple trips to Wellington, we are very proud of that achievement.”

Source and photo : http://gisborneherald.co.nz/localnews/4240616-135/sunair-flies-100000th-passenger

Air Service One Year Old

Kāpiti Coast District Council and Air Chathams have today celebrated a year of flying Kāpiti skies. The airline, which undertook its first commercial flight from Kāpiti on 20 August 2018, has welcomed over 40,000 passengers on approximately 1472 flights travelling between Auckland and Paraparaumu over the last 12 months. Kāpiti Coast Mayor K Gurunathan says the encouraging statistics are testimony to the value the region places on a direct flight service through to Auckland. “It’s clear that Air Chathams is building a strong and loyal customer base that is benefiting from the comfort and convenience of this regional connection,” says Mayor Gurunathan. “Keeping Kāpiti connected and accessible through this service strengthens business and family networks and bolsters our visitor economy. Our District’s share of regional and national tourism has been increasing by 10-15% year-on-year over the past three years and this service enables us to continue that momentum.” Duane Emeny, Air Chathams General Manager says the airline has received a warm Kāpiti welcome and has enjoyed meeting its new customers over the last year. “We’d like to extend a great big thank you to all our passengers as they’ve journeyed along with us as we’ve found our place on the Kāpiti Coast,” says Mr Emeny. “As a family-run business built on our involvement in the communities we serve, we’ve heard first-hand how our service is bringing together friends, families and businesses. We think that fits our business goals perfectly.” In 2018, the Council agreed to support Air Chathams through the ‘Fly Kāpiti’ campaign to aid in promoting the service. Council’s $50,000 investment in marketing was supplemented by initial support from Air New Zealand and Kāpiti Coast Airport, which offered Air Chathams a free terminal lease for the first year, along with other ongoing discounts on operating charges. Today’s milestone was celebrated with a birthday cake for passengers and key supporters at the Kāpiti Coast Airport. 

Source : Kapiti District Council Press Release