Auckland to Norfolk Island direct flights to cease next year.
 

Didn't at one stage operated the F27 to NLK? Wonder if the 72-600 could be an option in the future if they wanted to give the route another ago.

Or if anyone else picks up the route like Air Chats with there CV580s.

I can remember a time when my parents friends thought it was a great place to holiday and would go often (not made it myself yet, and not likely too now)

also know a few people from the island living here; this will be an inconvenience to them

Its almost like one of these markets we're we need an smaller operator that has an fleet of regional jets that market there services as an larger airline. e.g in North America the likes of Skywest providing Contract services to UA etc.

I've visited Norfolk Island many times and am very sorry this has happened.

Some years ago NZ used to fly there twice a week, but then reduced it to once a week. That in itself was a pity as it meant that NZ residents of Norfolk (approximately one third of the population) couldn't have short trips to NZ and have rellies visit Norfolk.

It also meant that some people went to Norfolk for shorter holidays. I used to enjoy a 10 day visit - 7 days too short, 14 too long.

But I doubt many NZers will bother to visit if they have to go via Sydney or Brisbane. I won't!

Nor would I bother if someone introduced smaller planes. Entry into Norfolk could be hairy at times if the weather closed in and there is no radar to help.

Airlines servicing the island from Australia, using older and smaller planes and inexperienced pilots, often couldn't get in when NZ was able to do so with no problems.

So, yes, I'm sad at this development and I'm sure that many others will be too, not least the Norfolk Island residents with links to NZ.

That's a shame. Air NZ spent a lot of time promoting the destination, even recently in Koru magazine. We were planning to visit one day... I guess it will be ex. Australia.

Also a bit bummed at the cancellation. It's a nice destination. Great for fishing but admittedly weather cancels that one out quite often. Easy to get in on activities and get to know the locals. We tried archery with the club. We stunk at it but the locals were very welcoming. And I love the little liqueur place. That guy is onto some good stuff, well there's 2 products I love. I'm going to have to go back for that reason alone! Ha! Emily bay is nice too. Not lots to do but enough for a week.

Yes, Emily Bay is a lovely place to swim.

Had an email from a Norfolk resident today - apparently AirNZ has been flying in there for more than 70 years! Well before my time.

Don't know what the original planes would have been. I know that when we first went 737s were used and then they changed more recently to A320s. I guess Friendships might have been used in earlier days?

In the early early days NAC flew DC3s out to NLK! AKL-NLK on a DC3, that's a long way!

After the DC3s NAC flew a F27-400 series aircraft out there...

Air New Zealand and NACs ties with the island go back a fair ways

It really does show up what many perceive as an issue with Air NZ's fleet. You have 50 seats, 68 seats and then nothing all the way up to 171 seats.

There would be many routes where something around the 100 - 120 seat number would be perfect, but when you have a fleet of ATR's that are a plane built by accountants for accountantss and run on the smell of an oily rag there is no hope of that ever happening.

I wonder if Alliance could pickup the route with there Fokker 50? it seems to have an a day or two down time in Auckland each week.

Though domestically they are pushing two flights as increases options, rather than a bigger plane. For example Wlg-Chc ATRs outside of peak so they can to hourly flights.

Where else in the network would an A319 (assuming more likely than a regional jet, as gives them a common fleet) be helpful? Most routes are too short to notice the the speed difference, particularly when consider usually faster to get off an ATR than a Bus.

That's part of the problem - there aren't lots of such routes.

Off the top of my head WLG-DUN could probably justify a jet and it'd bring the 1hr45 flight time on an ATR down significantly. Likewise WLG-HLZ has 2 x ATR's and a Q300 all leave within about an hour or so in the evenings.

The cost of operating the A318 and A319 are not that more cheaper than the A320 so for fleet flexibility I understand why NZ only operates the A320. With the upcoming delivery of the A321NEO, these were to be used as 767 replacements over the Tasman.

If anything an sub-fleet of A318 or A320s would likely have an higher seat cost than the A320/321 due to the lack of flexibility.

Does anyone remember what the seat count was for the short lived period of the Bae146s at NZ?