KEY POINTS:
A new one-hour flight/bus commuter service between Whangarei and central Auckland is scheduled to start on Monday.
Paihia-based Salt Air Ltd will run the service weekdays between Whangarei and North Shore Airfield at Dairy Flat north of Auckland.
Passengers will be ferried between Dairy Flat and central Auckland on a private shuttle service. The airline is aiming to deliver all passengers to their destinations within an hour of starting the journey.
The new Northern Bus Way is a vital link in the plan, eliminating delays in the leg between central Auckland and the North Shore Airport.
Salt Air co-owner Grant Harnish says the service has been designed for people who need to spend about half a day in Auckland or Whangarei, but want a stress-free trip away from heavy traffic.
"We think Northland day commuters might welcome the chance to get away from what is involved in flying into Auckland airport - which means they over-shoot the centre of Auckland and then have to compete with heavy traffic to get where they want to go," he said.
He said access to the new bus way was not "a given". "It's definitely not open to everyone. People wanting to use it have to go through a consent process which has taken time but I can say there is no better feeling - having trialled the trip the other day - than to be cruising down that bus way at 80km/h past grid- locked traffic," he said.
Mr Harnish said Salt Air was using its existing fleet and staff for the new venture but could well look to getting more staff and aircraft next summer if bookings took off.
"Our business is very seasonal and we don't need all the aircraft all the year round - but even so it has cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to set up the service," he said.
The allocated aircraft used would be an 11-seater Cessna 208B Grand Caravan.
The flights cost $129 each way and include the cost of the shuttle transfers to and from the Britomart Centre in Auckland. Passengers with carry-on luggage only pay $119. Phone bookings cost $139.00. The baggage weight limit is 15kg.
Departures from Whangarei will be weekdays at 7.30am, 1.30pm and 4.30pm; and from North Shore Airfield at 8.20am, 2.20pm and 5.20pm. The flight takes about 25 minutes. A weekend service will also be available Auckland-Kerikeri late Friday returning early Monday.
- NORTHERN ADVOCATE
