Loss of Sounds Air regional flights to impact healthcare access, connectivity

RNZ News

7 days ago

One of the Sounds Air's nine-seater Pilatus aircraft which provide the service between Westport and Wellington
Photo:
Ellen Curnow
The loss of two popular regional flights in the South Island is being seen as not just a blow to hopes of boosting tourism but also for healthcare and those needing treatment at Christchurch Hospital.
Sounds Air will
can its flights from Blenheim to Christchurch and Christchurch to Wānaka
from the end of September due to what's being described as 'out of control' costs.
Sounds Air managing director Andrew Crawford said it was flying more passengers than ever but could not keep up with the costs that have remained high since the pandemic, engineer shortages and the weak New Zealand dollar.
Sounds Air said it was going back to basics; canning the two routes, selling five smaller aircraft, and expanding its Cessna Caravan fleet for Cook Strait services.
Ten staff will lose their jobs.
That was after cancelling its services from Wellington to Taupō and Wellington to Westport last December and selling an aircraft.
The Minister for the South Island and associate Minister for Transport James Meager told
Checkpoint
he has spoken with Andrew Crawford recently to reassure him the issue was a high priority.
But Crawford said they had reached out to the government numerous times to no avail, and passing the buck on to customers to cover costs was not an option.
The airline's fares had gone up by more than 20 percent since Covid - they could go up another 20 percent and it would still not be enough to cover its costs, he said.
Marlborough Mayor Nadine Taylor said the council had raised the issue with government, and were told market forces would take care of it.
It was gutting for the region as the Blenheim-Christchurch route was a critical part of the region's economic recovery, she said.
"I am frustrated that Sounds Air was unsuccessful in securing support from central government as regional connectivity is also important for economic growth, particularly tourism," she said.
"There is often talk of the regions being our country's powerhouses - to be that we need infrastructure, services, and connectivity."
Christchurch Hospital provided a lot of primary care for cancer patients, and Taylor had already been contacted by some of the patients who regularly used the service.
"They're just sort of saying 'it's just such a devastating loss for them'. They're back to four or five hours on the road. They need family to transport them and take them rather than just dropping them at the airport," she said.
South Island Minister James Meager.
Photo:
RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Wānaka local and Queenstown Lakes Deputy Mayor Quentin Smith was disappointed the service was being cut.
So instead of being able to take a short flight that was less than an hour, it meant an hours-long drive.
"The alternative of either driving, which is about five-and-a-half hours each way or going to Queenstown, where you've got to drive over an hour each way plus you've got to be there a lot earlier for your flights than you do for Sounds Air," he said.
His daughter used the service a few weeks ago, and he said it was well used by travellers for business, holidays and appointments.
It also presented a problem for healthcare, especially for people
coming from Wānaka
or Blenheim who need to travel to Christchurch Hospital for treatment.
"Healthcare, I think, is a big one because people will fly up to Christchurch and back for a specialist appointment ... we know that access to healthcare out of Wānaka is particularly challenging so that's an issue that concerns me," Smith said.
Smith remembered when Air New Zealand used to fly the same route before the service was cut more than a decade ago.
"There's been a bit of a history of the offering and loss of this type of service. We've just got to find something that's sustainable that matches the needs. It was disappointing that a service that is really well-patronised isn't successful and there's obviously other reasons for that," he said.
Christchurch Airport chief executive Justin Watson was sad to see the flights go.
"A number of the regional airlines have been facing big challenges so ultimately it wasn't a complete surprise. We were hoping that they could work through those challenges and that they could find a way to continue to operate. But unfortunately they haven't been able to do that," he said.
Both services carried about 10,000 passengers a year.
Watson would like to see a collective approach to ensure the wings of important regional services were not clipped.
"There's a reality there that says every region can't be connected or it's going to cost so much that people just won't fly on it because it's too expensive," he said.
"In some countries, there is support through the likes of government for ensuring connectivity remains."
South Island Minister James Meager said the government had already taken action in a variety of ways - including providing investment in regional airport infrastructure, commencing the release of regional on-time flight performance data - and would soon release an aviation action plan.
He understood the conditions were tough in the aviation industry and airlines were under pressure - and that the government was actively considering several options to address regional connectivity concerns and improve competition in the sector.
Destination Marlborough general manager Tracey Green said Christchurch was a key visitor market for Marlborough.
"Recent challenges with Air New Zealand and ferry services have compromised our connectivity and losing Christchurch as a direct link is a significant blow," she said.
"The full impact of this loss in connectivity may not be immediately clear, but it's a real shame this is happening just ahead of the summer season, when we rely on those connections the most," Green said.
With a renewed focus on the Cook Strait services, Andrew Crawford said he was confident about the future of the business.
"We are not alone in this, Air New Zealand and other regional carriers in New Zealand, and world-wide, have been hit by the same cost increases, and the irony is that our passenger demand has never been stronger," he said.
"However, aviation is a very price sensitive market and demand would dry up if we tried to pass all of the cost increases to our customers."