News

In the wake of Air New Zealand abandoning several regional flights, a new service picking up some of the routes has been offered by airline entrepreneur Ewan Wilson and several associates.

The new venture will see flights depart from Dunedin, travel to Queenstown and then fly directly to Nelson. After touching down in Nelson, the aircraft will fly to Hamilton and Auckland, returning the same day. The aircraft will then stay overnight in Dunedin.

The service is set to commence at the end of 2015, or early in 2016. That said, a “huge amount of bureaucracy has to be done before [the flights] can move,” said Dave MacPherson of Kiwi Regional Airlines. Until this is taken care of, “[KRA] can’t sell a ticket,” nor can they “finalise [their] routes.” On top of this, “various key technical personnel” such as “the Chief Pilot” will also need to be “deemed fit and proper.”

Plans are afoot for the company to purchase two SAAB 340 34-seater aircrafts for the venture. MacPherson said this will come at a cost of “around US$1 million or US$1.5 million” (NZ$1.3–$1.9 million) per aircraft. Although the aircrafts will be second hand, MacPherson assured us that the Civil Aviation Authority would have “very stringent rules about the aircrafts’ safety.” In time, a third aircraft will also be purchased to complement the existing fleet.

MacPherson could not disclose ticket prices, as these have not yet been established. Prices will depend on the final cost of the aircraft and “the repayment costs for the loan.” However, prices will “certainly [be] cheaper” than current flights from Dunedin to Queenstown, as these have to be “via Christchurch.” At the time of print, flights from Dunedin to Queenstown through Air New Zealand ranged from $263–$455. The flight will also cut a significant amount of travel time, as the drive between the two cities is around three and a half hours.

The company is also looking into a multi-pass system. The system will allow customers to purchase several tickets at once, each ticket with flexible dates of departure. MacPherson described this system as a “glorified bus pass.” The system is mainly targeted at overseas tourists, but is also “likely to be applicable to students.”

Olly Conway, a University of Otago student and recreational skier, said he spends “a lot of time driving to and from Queenstown for skiing.” Therefore, having a new airline that flies direct on the route will be “great.”