Sunair to bring flights to Gisborne, Napier, Whangārei
A new airline will be joining Hamilton Domestic Airport in what the airport’s group chief executive Mark Morgan says is a clear indicator of Waikato's growing size and popularity.
Sunair Aviation will offer flights to Gisborne, Napier, and Whangārei from Hamilton starting Monday April 29.
The addition comes soon after the news that Air New Zealand, which also flies from Hamilton Airport, is upping their domestic flight fares.
Morgan said that it’s hard to compare “apples with apples” in terms of whether it will be cheaper to fly with Sunair than with Air New Zealand.
“We can’t compare as Air New Zealand doesn't fly these routes,” Morgan said.
“What I would say is that the comparison is really for people to compare against their travel and time costs on the roads.”
Sunair, which operates six-seater Piper Aztek aircraft, will be returning to Hamilton Airport after previously offering scheduled services around the upper North Island from Hamilton Airport, as well as more recently offering charter services.
According to their website, the three new flights will cost $390 one way per adult.
Smaller craft come with pricier fares, said Morgan, but the benefits of the new flights will outweigh the costs.
“Whilst Sunair aircraft are relatively small, it means you don’t need to fly back to a main hub. For example if you want to fly to Hawke’s Bay from Hamilton, you have to either travel by road to Auckland, or fly from Hamilton to Wellington and up to Hawke’s Bay,” he said.
“It’s really encouraging that we’re able to see a regional airline that’s prepared to expand its services in what is a tough economic trading environment.
“And I think that speaks a lot to the confidence of Sunair and to the fact that this region, the Waikato region, is growing in size, and businesses can take opportunities in this region that they would not ordinarily have done.”