Day-trip flights for festival axed

Air New Zealand will not put on chartered day trips from Auckland and Wellington for the Bluff Oyster and Food Festival next year.

In recent years the airline organised two planeloads on the day to Invercargill – one from each city – arriving mid-morning and leaving early evening.

Air NZ communications manager Lauren Bowerman said that in August the airline commenced a five times weekly return direct jet service between Invercargill and Auckland.

‘‘Customers are able to take advantage of this new direct service to attend the 2020 Bluff Oyster Festival.

‘‘Over festival weekend our usual Monday morning service to Auckland has been retimed to instead depart on Sunday evening, which will help ensure ease of travel for festival goers,’’ Bowerman said.

Festival committee member Kylie Fowler said North Islanders who were not put off by the cancellation might now struggle to find accommodation in Invercargill.

‘‘All indications are there’s very little beds left [for that weekend], other than Airbnbs,’’ Fowler said.

The two flights were full last year and brought a total of 342 people to the festival, she said.

Seven hundred of the 4500 festival tickets remain available but Fowler expects the sold-out sign will go up in February, like in past years.

On Thursday, Fowler posted 100 tickets to an Asian tourism company in Auckland. She said Asian interest in the festival increases every year.