Transcript
GLEN BUFFETT: New Zealand and Norfolk Island have long time cultural connections and social connections so yeah it was definitely a loss when Air New Zealand have decided to cease flying. However Norfolk Island Airlines are looking to start operations at the end of May and we will fly from Brisbane through to Norfolk and then onto Auckland and then do a run from Auckland to Norfolk and back to Brisbane. So we will be taking up the slack. Initially it will be a weekly service using the Boeing 737.
DON WISEMAN: It will be flying under your colours - Norfolk Island Airlines
GB: Yes Norfolk Island Airlines and we have a leasing agreement with Nauru Airlines to provide the aircraft.
DW: There actually has been a link up before - to Norfolk?
GB: That is correct. The government run airline in the last few years also used a leasing agreement with Nauru Airlines to provide the services out from Australia to here.
DW: Air New Zealand presumes I guess that there's not the market for it. What makes you think differently?
GB: So I have a few years in marketing. New Zealand in particular and Australia. Formerly I was at the Government Tourist Bureau operations here and New Zealand is a great destination and has to potential to grow, absolutely. The issue is more to do with the marketing side of things and being a single destination and a one plane route through the week Air New Zealand was limited in terms of what it could do in terms of marketing and so are the distribution channels in New Zealand.
DW: When you say just this single flight a week - are you catering for the possibility that there may be increased demand?
GB: Absolutely. The difference between us and Air New Zealand is aircraft type as well. They are currently flying an A320 out here, which is just too big for a single week run. So we are flying the Boeing 737 which are capable of about 120 passengers. So it makes a significant difference in terms of load factors, and having that aircraft there is the potential for us to fly an additional service mid week, which we have certainly got in our planning. It is very possible. And that that opens up the route to a whole different market and different travel times.
