Air New Zealand flights in and out of Nelson until early May are set to be reduced as the national carrier faces surging jet fuel prices driven by the Middle East conflict.
Chief executive Nikhil Ravishankar told RNZ this morning that the airline would cancel around 1100 flights mostly across its domestic network, affecting thousands of passengers, and that most of those affected would be moved to flights on the same day.
For Nelson, this means planned cuts of an average two to three return flights a week to Auckland, increasing to as many as 10 a week after the April peak travel period.
The airline also plans to scale back flights to and from Wellington by an average of five a week, and Christchurch services by an average of two to three a week.
This affected period will be between 16 March and 3 May.
Ravishankar said he had spoken to “all regional mayors” about their concerns regarding regional services and said he had their support.
Nelson Mayor Nick Smith confirmed he had been briefed on the cuts and hoped they would be short‑term during this international fuel price volatility period, noting that the region is “isolated” and that air travel is “of great importance to our growing professional services sector”.
Nelson MP Rachel Boyack says the trimmed services will “cause frustration”, and she’ll be seeking a meeting with Air New Zealand to get assurances that the cuts are only temporary for businesses and travellers who need to get in and out of Nelson.
“We are an isolated region, and we also have a situation where the ferries are booked up for weeks, so it’s getting harder and harder for Nelson people to travel,” she says.
“New Zealand must have reliable regional air travel, and Labour will seek an assurance that this is temporary — and that consumers are well informed.
“The Government needs to work actively with Air New Zealand to ensure the regions are serviced by the airline and communicate with the country promptly.”
