Air New Zealand extends Gisborne – Napier service

Air New Zealand is extending its temporary service between Tairāwhiti Gisborne and the Hawke's Bay, given roads between the two regions are still severely damaged from the devastating floods.
13 March 2023

The temporary service, due to come to an end on 25 March, will now operate for a further eight weeks from 10 April to 9 June to help keep the two regions connected.

The two-week pause of the service between 25 March and 10 April will allow the airline to secure the crew and aircraft required to continue operating the route for the eight-week period. 

Air New Zealand Regional Affairs Manager Jason Dawson says the airline is committed to supporting the communities most impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle to stay connected in their time of need.

"We launched this temporary service to restore vital transportation links between the two regions – to support families and friends looking to be reunited and help essential workers get to where they need to be."

"With the road link still cut off, we've extended the service for as long as we can to ensure connectivity between the regions while the roading infrastructure is being repaired." 

Flights will be operating six times per week and will go on sale on today.

The schedule for the Gisborne - Napier flights between 10 April and to 10 June is as follows:

 Flight

NZ8477

Departing

Gisborne

Time

7:35pm

 Arriving

Napier

 Time

8:05pm


 Flight

NZ8478

Departing

Napier

Time

7:30am

 Arriving

Gisborne

 Time

8:00am


GIS-NPE flight operates Sunday through Friday nights from 10 April to 9 June (excluding Sunday 4 June during King's Birthday Weekend)

NPE-GIS flight operates Monday through Saturday mornings from 11 April – 10 June (excluding Monday 5 June during King's Birthday Weekend) 

Ends

Issued by Air New Zealand Communications.

Email: media@airnz.co.nz │Phone: +64 21 747 320│Twitter: @AirNZMedia

About Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand's story started in 1940, first taking to the skies between Auckland and Sydney on a flying boat - a Short S30. Known for its warm Kiwi hospitality, today, the airline has 104 operating aircraft ranging from Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and Airbus A320s to ATRs and Q300s, offering customers comfort in the latest most efficient jets and turboprops. It's a modern fuel-efficient fleet with an average age of 7.3 years. Air New Zealand's global network of passenger and cargo services centres around New Zealand. Pre-Covid, the airline flew more than 17 million passengers every year, with 3,400 flights per week. Air New Zealand was recently named the World's Safest Airline by the Australian rating service AirlineRatings.com, highlighting the airline's laser-focus on safety. Last year, Air New Zealand won Best Corporate Reputation in New Zealand – 8th year in a row.

Air New Zealand has a well-connected domestic business, connecting customers and cargo to 20 different regions around New Zealand. Internationally, the airline has direct flights to major cities across Australia, Asia, the Pacific Islands and the US, and through its strong relationships with alliance partners, offers customers more choice and convenience to connect further afield to hundreds of destinations. Air New Zealand has a particular focus on sustainability and its Sustainability Framework  helps guide the airline's efforts in tackling some of New Zealand's and the world's most complex challenges. Air New Zealand aircraft are proudly identified by its distinct tail livery of the Mangōpare, the Māori symbol of the hammerhead shark which represents strength, tenacity, and resilience.

 

About Star Alliance

Air New Zealand is proud to be a member of Star Alliance. The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer worldwide reach, recognition and seamless service to the international traveller. Its acceptance by the market has been recognized by numerous awards, including the Air Transport World Market Leadership Award and Best Airline Alliance by both Business Traveller Magazine and Skytrax. The member airlines are: Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI and United. Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers more than 18,500 daily flights to 1,321 airports in 193 countries.