INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BUT NO FLIGHTS

Hamilton, New Zealand to lose
international air services

By Nikki Preston

5:30 AM Wednesday Aug 15, 2012

Hamilton, New Zealand could be without an international air service
when Virgin Australia pulls out in October

An urgent search is being made for a new international carrier to fly from Hamilton Airport to stop it losing its international status after a fourth airline pulled out.

Virgin Australia, which formerly operated in New Zealand as Pacific Blue, is cancelling its Hamilton to Brisbane service from October 27.

Virgin Australia New Zealand executive general manager Mark Pitt said demand for the service had decreased, and it was losing money.

Analysis by the airline showed improved road access to Auckland and the downturn in the local economy contributed to the poor performance of the route, he said.

But Hamilton City Council politicians - whose council has a 50 per cent stake in the airport - are calling on the airport to look for a new airline.

Councilor Ewan Wilson, founder of the airport's first international carrier, Kiwi Air, said the airport could lose its international status for good if a new carrier was not found before Virgin Australia left.

Kiwi Air, founded by Ewan Wilson in 1994,
operated this Boeing 737 on trans-Tasman services

The airport was embroiled in a legal battle in 2009 to get Customs and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's services reinstated when Air New Zealand scrapped its international service. Virgin Australia did not start flying the route until five months later.

A Customs Service representative said the service learned of the airline's decision only yesterday afternoon and wanted to understand the implications for the service and staff before commenting.

Hamilton deputy mayor and former airport board member Gordon Chesterman said having no international carrier would affect revenue from car parking as well as the duty-free business.

"With Virgin pulling out this will send a signal to other carriers that Hamilton is a highly risky business.

"Yet the truth is that 20 per cent of all people flying out of the Waikato and Bay of Plenty have flown to Australia from Hamilton and that 80 per cent continue to fly from Auckland."

House of Travel commercial director Brent Thomas said the biggest barrier for Hamilton Airport was frequency of flights and cost . . . .

Full story in New Zealand Herald

Peter’s Comment

Hamilton is New Zealand’s fourth largest city and the center for the country’s highest density farming and tourism region. There is no logical reason why the city and surrounds cannot support international air services.

Public awareness may be a major factor. Indeed I have flown Auckland to Brisbane unaware that there was a direct flight from Hamilton. My next trip to Brisbane was from Hamilton (about the same distance from where I live) and I found it more convenient for parking as well as proceeding through departure and arrival formalities. The airfare was comparable to flying from Auckland.

I’m puzzled as to why Virgin chose only to operate to Brisbane when Australia’s two largest cities are closer. Virgin may have put themselves out on a limb by not operating services from Hamilton to Sydney and Melbourne also. Three regular services and marketing to suit would have struck a chord with travelers that would have been hard to resist.

Hamilton will need to beat out a path to the door of Air New Zealand, Qantas, Tiger and Jetstar, or an entirely new player to fill the gap left by Virgin.