While the Covid-19 pandemic has caused problems for the New Zealand aviation industry generally, Originair has extended its services to Hamilton that it started last year.
The company is adding a third Jetstream 32 EP to its fleet. Originair’s CEO Robert Inglis says, “A double daily Hamilton–Palmerston North peak time schedule is planned, although it hasn’t been implemented as early as intended due to Covid-19 related delays with the introduction of our next aircraft.”
Following the holiday period, from mid-February the airline reintroduced return daily services from Nelson to Palmerston North and Hamilton. In addition, a direct service from Hamilton to Nelson every Friday evening, with a direct return service on Sunday afternoons, allows travellers a full weekend in Nelson.
An 8am Monday service from Hamilton to Palmerston North has also been introduced, along with a 5.30pm flight from Palmerston North to Hamilton every Friday. With the entry of the third Jetstream, this service will become daily, complementing current services.
The company is planning to introduce these additional peak time flights during this month. All flights from Nelson on weekdays offer a connection to Hamilton via a brief stop in Palmerston North, and likewise for the Hamilton travellers to Nelson.
“The solid support received on these key city pairs has been appreciated and as the airline increases its flight schedule I believe it will provide travellers improved travel options,” says Mr Inglis.
Robert Inglis is a Nelson businessman who founded Air Nelson with Nicki Smith in 1979. After Air New Zealand bought out Air Nelson, the pair founded Origin Pacific Airways in 1996 to supply services around provincial New Zealand.
After a successful code-share agreement with Qantas, Origin Pacific went into receivership and ultimately statutory liquidation in 2006. This insolvency was brought about by the government’s bailout of Air NZ, resulting in plans for Qantas to become a cornerstone shareholder in Air NZ with their passenger feed then flowing from the Air NZ link operation instead of Origin Pacific.
Eventually the Commerce Commission did not approve the planned relationship, but that wasn’t the end of the story.
In 2015 Mr Inglis founded Originair in response to Air NZ’s disestablishment of its subsidiary Eagle Air and the termination of direct flights between Nelson and Palmerston North. Due to the small size of the airline, flight operations were contracted out to Air Freight NZ, although the airliners were painted in Originair’s livery. The airline began operations on 12 August 2015 with flights between Nelson and Palmerston North, with flights between Nelson and Wellington starting the following month.
In February 2016, issues with Air Freight NZ’s operating certificate led to the grounding of the Jetstream aircraft by the CAA. The issues were stated to be very specific to the particular operation which had been undertaken by Air Freight NZ. Originair briefly contracted Airwork to operate its flights using Metroliners, although when this arrangement terminated at the end of March 2016, Originair temporarily ceased operations.
In July 2016 the airline announced it would resume flights via an arrangement with Inflite Charters. Flights were to resume between Nelson and Palmerston North, which had lacked a direct service while Originair’s operations were suspended, but Nelson–Wellington services would not resume because the introduction of Jetstar had made the route too competitive.
On 23 September 2016 Originair restarted regular scheduled services between Nelson and Palmerston North, with flights being operated by air2there using Cessna Grand Caravans and Piper Chieftains. Flights with Originair’s own aircraft resumed in June 2017, and Originair added a new route from Nelson to New Plymouth in September 2017. Hawke’s Bay Airport at Napier was added to its network from September 2018, and flights to Wellington resumed on 14 February 2020.
Since the end of 2019, Originair has gone from strength to strength and is now a leading third-level carrier in New Zealand operating on its own AOC.
- Article by Peter Owens, photographs by Originair