Originair set to expand service
Nelson-based airline Originair is looking to increase its Palmerston North flights and plans to resume other North Island services after getting its own operating certificate.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued Originair its own Part 125 Airline Operator Certificate (AOC), allowing the company to operate its 18-seat Jetstream aircraft independently since last Friday.
Since 2015 Originair had operated its services through contracted arrangements with other AOC holders.
Chief executive Robert Inglis said while such an arrangement was not uncommon – as Air New Zealand had done with Air Nelson or Jetstar with Eastern Airlines – receiving its own certificate would provide a sound foundation for Originair’s future development. ‘‘We were doing that because we were operating under a modest operation and the overhead costs of holding your own certificate are really significant.
‘‘The team of senior persons that have to be approved by the CAA is quite extensive and a lot of cost comes with that ... It’s been a lengthy process – over a year – and it’s something that the CAA doesn’t take lightly.
‘‘The key thing really is we’re not planning to offer any major network – we do have to look at some modest expansion of our fleet because the overhead costs of obtaining our AOC means we have to be able to amortise the costs of those overheads – our aim is to really offer Nelson some more choice.’’
Originair was established in 2015 and has provided services to Palmerston North, New Plymouth, Napier and Wellington, prior to Jetstar’s entry to that route.
Currently the airline only flew passenger services between Nelson and Palmerston North.
Flights to New Plymouth were affected by Jetstar’s plan to stop its services to regional New Zealand at the end of last month. It left Originair without check-in and tarmac services operated by
Jetstar’s handling company.
The airline plans to resume direct services when New Plymouth’s multi-million dollar new airport terminal is opened early next year, and will use its own handling staff.
Inglis said Originair still had an interest in resuming its Napier route in the near future as well as ‘‘one or two other sectors’’ that offered flyers another destination of choice in the North Island. ‘‘We’re really pleased with our services to Palmerston [North] – that’s been very well supported,’’ he said.