New airline in town: Originair touches down with first Napier flight

The first Originair flight receives a guard of honour after landing in Napier on Friday. Photo / Paul Taylor

Napier officially has a new airline in town.

Nelson-based Originair touched down on the tarmac at Hawke's Bay Airport on Friday at 1pm in its first commercial flight to the region, direct from Nelson.

The small airline has chartered flights to Napier in the past - including for a Ranfurly Shield match earlier this month - but has now begun operating scheduled flights in and out of the airport.

That includes direct flights to Nelson and also flights to Hamilton and Palmerston North.

"I am so excited to see the arrival of Originair at Hawke's Bay Airport today," Hawke's Bay Airport chief executive Stuart Ainslie said.

"We are all feeling the impacts of the pandemic, particularly the aviation industry.

A specially-designed cake is cut to mark the occasion. Photo / Paul Taylor

"Making it easier for Hawke's Bay people to connect with friends and family in Nelson, Hamilton and Palmerston North helps Hawke's Bay Airport recover from those impacts but it also bolsters the people and economy of our region."

The flight was welcomed with water cannons from the airport's fire service and a specially-designed cake which was cut to mark the occasion.

Air New Zealand is the main airline which operates out of Hawke's Bay Airport while Jetstar stopped flying to the region in 2019.

Originair chief executive Robert Inglis previously told Hawke's Bay Today there was demand for a Napier to Nelson direct service.

"There are a lot of similarities between our two areas and the message we are receiving is people would like to be able to make a direct flight for a long weekend."

No other airline offers a direct service between the two regions.

Originair has a small fleet of 18-seat Jetstream planes and offers chartered and scheduled flights.