Air NZ’s Northland travel troubles causes headaches for passengers

With State Highway 1 closing at Brynderwyn Hills for nine weeks from February 26, people might be considering flying between Auckland and Northland instead of driving. But with Air New Zealand cancelling 6.5 per cent of its flights in and out of the region, there is a risk the flight might not make it. Denise Piper dives into why the flights are so often canned and what passengers’ rights are when they are.

Kylie Kirk has decided not to fly out of Whangārei Airport with Air New Zealand again - it would be easier to drive to Auckland and pay for parking, she says.

The final straw for the Whangārei resident was in December when a last-minute cancelled flight nearly ruined a holiday to the UK to visit family she had not seen for 35 years.

Kirk had booked flights from Whangārei to Auckland, onto Shanghai and then to the UK.

The Air New Zealand app said her 5.30pm flight out of Whangārei was on time, so she checked in with plenty of time, she said.

Just 25 minutes before the flight was due to take off, the airline announced the flight was cancelled due to mechanical issues.

Kirk was offered a bus to Auckland but said it would not have got her there in time for her international flight to Shanghai. Fortunately, her partner offered to drive, despite starting work at 4am.

But when Kirk went to leave, Air NZ was unable to find her luggage, initially blaming another passenger for taking it. After 20 minutes the bag was found on the conveyor belt.

During the drive to Auckland, Kirk called Air NZ for a refund. She was initially offered a credit but demanded a refund and was told by a supervisor it would take a couple of weeks to process.

Kirk said she made it to Auckland just in time for check-in.

“I had no dinner or anything and a tired partner who had drive back to Whangārei to start work at 4am again the next morning.”

Flights in and out of Whangārei Airport, pictured, are not as reliable as in other regions, Air New Zealand admits. Photo / Tania Whyte

The couple are going to Australia in September and said no way are they flying from Whangārei.

Kirk is not alone. Hundreds of Northlanders have complained about flights being cancelled between either Whangārei and Auckland, or Bay of Islands and Auckland, coupled with poor customer service to follow-up.

Air NZ said 6.5 per cent of its flights in or out of Northland are cancelled.

Northlanders bear the brunt of flight cancellations

Sport Northland chief executive Brent Eastwood said the problems seemed to have worsened over the last few years.

“It seems like about one in every four flights is either delayed, sometimes significantly, or cancelled. They used to give a reason like ‘engineering issues’ but now they don’t even give a reason,” he said.

Eastwood felt the brunt of this a few months ago when travelling to Whangārei from Wellington. He arrived in Auckland at 10am only to hear his 11am flight to Whangārei had been cancelled, with no reason why.

By the time he enquired, the next flight at 1.35pm was full so he was put on the 4.30pm flight. Unfortunately, this was delayed again and again, until finally he arrived in Whangārei at 8.30pm.

“Door to door, it would have been quicker to travel by car from Wellington,” he said.

Eastwood felt Northlanders were getting a raw deal when compared with other areas, potentially because the commute from Auckland to Whangārei is easier by road than a trip to somewhere like Rotorua.

Fog causes major flight disruptions at Whangārei Airport in 2022. Air New Zealand says weather-related issues are the main reason for cancellations. Photo / Tania Whyte

“My colleagues around the country and I often leave our destination for home at similar times but it always seems to be me that is messaging to let them know about the delays or cancellations,” he said.

Economist Benje Patterson said the percentage of Air NZ flights in or out of Northland being cancelled sounded like a lot - it represented one day a fortnight.

When cancellations do occur they can be because of weather specific events in the area but at times there can be operation issues across the network, Patterson said. These can include engineering issues or staffing shortages.

“Essentially, there’s not enough planes at any point in time to fly around. At that point, they have to make some tough decisions about what flight they cancel or merge.”

Patterson said places with a road alternative, such as buses, or at the end of the route end up facing the brunt of cancellations.

“From a business point-of-view of course it makes sense, they have to make compromises, but the problem is that one flight matters hugely to those 50 people that are on it - their entire life in that point of time relies on them getting on the flight.”

Patterson said airlines are less likely to cancel flights where people kick up a fuss or make extensive claims for costs.

Air NZ says weather main reason for flight cancellation

Air New Zealand regional affairs manager Jason Dawson acknowledges disruptions can be frustrating for passengers but recommends customers book fully flexible airfares or have travel insurance in case they require a full refund.

Air NZ disagreed that Northland faces the brunt of cancellations due to operational decisions, instead saying weather is the most common reason for cancellations.

Regional affairs manager Jason Dawson said an average of four flights out of 62 are cancelled each week in the Bay of Islands and Whangārei.

“This is slightly higher than the regional network average with Kerikeri, for example, experiencing more fog-related disruptions than other ports.”

Dawson said when a flight is delayed or cancelled, Air NZ usually puts customers on the next available flight or puts on road transport.

“We acknowledge disruptions can be frustrating for customers and, in the event of a cancellation, our team work as quickly as they can to re-accommodate customers on the next available service to get them where they need to be as soon as possible,” he said.

Air NZ recommends customers book fully flexible airfare or have travel insurance in case travel plans are disrupted and they require a full refund, Dawson said.

He said Air NZ is always looking at ways to minimise disruptions and create more resilience, such as putting on larger planes.

From April 24, the airline will be upgrading one of its daily flights in and out of the Bay of Islands, from a 50-seat Q300 aircraft to a 78-seat ATR aircraft.

Airlines need to be more upfront, says Consumer

Non-profit advocacy organisation Consumer said Northland passengers appeared not to be getting the level of service expected from Air NZ.

However, communications and campaigns manager Jessica Walker said it would be good to know how many of the airline’s 6.5 per cent cancellations are for reasons outside its control, like weather.

Under the Civil Aviation Act, the rights for passengers on cancelled flights change depending on the reason for the cancellation.

If a domestic flight is cancelled for reasons outside the airline’s control - such as weather or mandatory government shutdown - the airline has no requirement to refund tickets or reimburse costs, Walker explained.

“Instead, your rights will depend on the type of fare you bought, and the airline’s terms and conditions ... If you haven’t purchased a refundable fare, the airline will usually rebook you on another flight, or offer you a credit.”

Flights in and out of the Bay of Islands Airport, at Kerikeri, are more frequently cancelled by fog than at other airports, Air New Zealand says.

However, if the flight is cancelled because of reasons within the airline’s control - such as engineering issues or a lack of staff - the airline is required to cover reasonable costs, up to 10 times the cost of the ticket.

The costs must be proven and could include a refund of tickets, accommodation costs and/or reasonable transport costs.

But Walker said making such a claim was not always easy.

“Airlines aren’t always upfront about the reason a flight is delayed or cancelled, which makes it almost impossible to work out what you’re entitled to.

“Unfortunately, in New Zealand, airlines aren’t required to tell you about your rights ... We think our airlines can do better.”

Air NZ said when a flight is disrupted, it will communicate with customers through email and text, and will always let customers know the reason. It has a guide online explaining domestic passenger’s rights.

Since 2022, Consumer has been running a campaign called Flight Rights, calling on airlines to be more upfront about passengers’ rights when their flight is delayed or cancelled, Walker said.

Backed by 11,000 signatures, Consumer will soon begin lobbying the Minister of Transport asking him to introduce regulations for airlines to disclose a minimum level of information to passengers when a flight disruption occurs, she said.

Consumer also does not think passengers should have to pay extra - such as by buying a flexible fare - for peace of mind for domestic travel.

Kaitāia service takes off with plane investment

Barrier Air first started its service between Kaitāia and Auckland in 2015, and has since invested more than $25 million into its planes.

While Air NZ offers flights between Auckland and Whangārei or Kerikeri, another player who frequently flies into Northland has a much better success rate.

Barrier Air has been flying between Kaitāia Airport and Auckland since 2015, when Air NZ pulled out of the northernmost service. The airline offers up to 30 flights a week in and out of Kaitāia on its 14-seat jet turbine Cessna Grand Caravan, chief executive Grant Bacon said.

Since April 1, 2023, just four flights have been cancelled, all due to weather, he said. In those cases, Barrier Air works to get passengers on the next available flight but occasionally has to arrange a shuttle to Auckland.

Bacon said they don’t like to do that because of the condition of the roads.

Barrier Air added four flights to its schedule when State Highway 1 closed at Mangamuka Gorge and is planning to add more flights when the highway also closes at the Brynderwyns from February 26.

The extra flights will cater for Aucklanders coming up for the weekend, while Northland locals are also being catered for with cheaper vouchers.

Bacon said part of Barrier Air’s secret to success has been investing $25 million over the last four years into new aircraft, meaning planes are more reliable and there is capacity when they need maintenance.

Barrier Air has also been on an employment drive to hire enough pilots to run its service, he said.

Sunair Aviation, which flies from Whangārei to Great Barrier and Tauranga, was also approached for comment but was unable to say how many of its flights have been cancelled.

Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.