The Air New Zealand domestic route that didn't survive Covid-19 lockdown

Air NZ has called time on its last interregional route, and a smaller airline has swooped in to fill the void left by the national carrier. At Air New Zealand’s annual meeting on Tuesday chairman Dame Therese Walsh told shareholders all domestic routes were up and running again. However, its Hamilton-Palmerston North-Wellington service did not resume after New Zealand’s Covid-19 lockdown from March to April. An Air New Zealand spokeswoman said the last service from Hamilton to Palmerston North was on March 27. It resumed services to all 20 ports on its domestic network in June, she said. “However, we have not resumed services on our Hamilton-Palmerston North-Wellington route due to insufficient demand for our 50-seater Q300 aircraft.” Nelson operator Originair seized the opportunity presented by Air New Zealand’s departure, and from October 19 will operate direct weekday services between Palmerston North and Hamilton. Origin Air managing director Robert Inglis, who started Air Nelson which was later bought by Air New Zealand, said Palmerston North-Hamilton was primarily a business market, and those customers would like a double daily peak time morning and evening service.<br/>