Air NZ Dunedin flight changes panned

Changes to flights between Dunedin and the capital are “just one more” bit of hurt being piled on southerners, Dunedin MP Rachel Brooking says.

Air New Zealand this week said the Dunedin – Wellington route will now by operated using an ATR turboprop instead of a jet in the morning and evening.

The change means a flight to the capital will take 1 hour and 55 minutes, rather than one hour and 15 minutes.

Dunedin passengers travelling to Wellington for the day will be able to arrive in Wellington at 8.30am. The return non-stop flight will be at 4.30pm with a connection via Christchurch just after 6pm.

Dunedin MP Rachel Brooking said the move would make it harder for businesses, faced with fewer available seats and a shorter working day.

“So, before, if you were in court or a meeting until 5pm or 5.30pm you had time to debrief people and get on a flight. We finish at 6pm on a Thursday, so you can get out to the airport. Now, it’s going to be a 4.30pm flight, and you are not getting up there until 9am. What a pain.”

The MP said the changes just added to “mistrust”, on the back of the Dunedin Hospital and rail-enabled Cook Strait ferries controversies.

“I have some sympathy for Air NZ but I think this government really needs to look at the things it is doing that are hurting the south and this is certainly, just one more thing.”

Air New Zealand general manager domestic Scott Carr said the airline conducted extensive consultation with its stakeholders in Dunedin.

“A significant amount of care and planning goes into ensuring our domestic network services communities across the country effectively.  To do this, Air New Zealand must also ensure its operations are financially sustainable.

“We regularly review our schedule and will sometimes make adjustments to ensure our services are fit for purpose and meet demand appropriately. Over recent months, we’ve seen domestic demand soften across most customer segments in response to a tough economic backdrop. This is most evident on some of our regional network. 

“Concurrently, we also have aircraft out of service due to global engine maintenance issues.   

“As a result, we’ve made some adjustments to our schedule.

“We are re-accommodating those who were already booked to travel. We know this change may cause inconvenience for some, but we want to assure our customers that we remain committed to connecting New Zealanders to each other and the world and we apologise for any inconveniences these changes may cause.”

Other route changes announced are:

• Queenstown – Christchurch: The first flight of the morning from Queenstown to Christchurch is being moved to an ATR, rather than a jet. This will depart slightly later – just before 9am. The last service from Christchurch to Queenstown will be mid-afternoon. This is due to lower demand and daylight operating limits for turboprops. We are increasing the Auckland jet service by two more services a week.
• Christchurch – New Plymouth: The late evening flight from Christchurch to New Plymouth, and the early flight from New Plymouth to Christchurch will be replaced with more leisure flights in the middle of the day as these are more popular with passengers. These flights will take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Overall, this results in a reduction of three flights per week.
• Blenheim – Wellington: Overall capacity from Blenheim to Wellington will remain the same, but the first flight of the day will be slightly later.