Trans-Tasman flight plan not on Air NZ manifest
Air New Zealand has poured cold water on a proposal to launch trans-Tasman passenger flights on July 1, saying it has no intention to operate the proposed service between Canberra and Wellington.
However, Canberra Airport – which is one of the driving forces behind the proposal – insists it is ‘‘talking to all airlines’’ and isn’t ruling out the possibility of running it as a charter service if commercial airlines weren’t interested.
The proposal, supported by the Australian and New Zealand chambers of commerce, sat outside the operations of the TransTasman Safe Border Group, a government-supported group which has been working on the bubble project for several weeks.
Aviation insiders are sceptical about the potential demand for such a service, after Singapore Airlines ditched its ‘capital connection’ service after just 19 months, instead replacing it with a Wellington-Melbourne service.
Canberra Airport is inviting expressions of interest for the first flights on July 1 and 2, coinciding with the start of the Australian Capital Territory’s school holidays. More than 300 people had registered within two hours of the page going live on the airport’s website.
As well as ‘‘symbolism’’ of connecting the two capitals, Canberra Airport head of aviation Michael Thomson said Wellington was an attractive partner for other reasons.
‘‘Neither Canberra Airport or Wellington Airport are taking many, if any, repatriation flights, so they’re effectively clean terminals which means there isn’t the co-mingling of passengers and there’s far less risk to other security and border staff,’’ Thomson said.
He saw the Canberra proposal
as ‘‘complementary’’ to the safe border group’s work.
‘‘We certainly don’t think it’s going to be an ‘us or them’. What we do think is Canberra Wellington makes sense as a starting place for us, but we would hope that once the concept is up and running, we do look to expand it to larger ports in both countries,’’ Thomson said.
Auckland Business Chamber chief executive Michael Barnett said the new initiative would be put before both governments ‘‘to help the survival, recovery and sustainability of our vital tourism, export, event and travel sector’’. ‘‘We feed each other, and we need each other’s dollars urgently to help with economic recovery. New Zealand needs Aussies back here as our single most important visitors, all 1.5 million of them, supporting our tourism sector, our cafe´s and events decimated by the enforced shutdown.’’
But our national carrier is counting itself out, confirming it ‘‘does not intend to operate’’ the Wellington-Canberra route.
Safe Border Group co-chair Scott Tasker described the
Canberra-Wellington proposal as ‘‘curious’’, particularly as his group – which included 11 government agencies, six airports and two airlines – was close to delivering its proposal.
‘‘This group of 40 experts has been working solidly for three weeks to come up with a detailed proposal to put to government for the safe and sustainable reopening of the trans-Tasman border, for the benefit of our communities and economies, and one which is endorsed by all parts of the system,’’ Tasker said.
Barnett described the chambers of commerce’s proposal as ‘‘an initiative that’s focusing on building some momentum around the debate’’.
He said the clear message from the business community is that ‘‘the sooner [trans-Tasman] flights resume, the better.
While the flight would be welcomed, a Wellington Airport spokesman said the proposal is ‘‘outside of the comprehensive work’’ being carried out.
‘‘ . . . Canberra Wellington makes sense as a starting place for us.’’ Michael Thomson
Canberra Airport head of aviation