Air New Zealand to boost Gisborne capacity

Air New Zealand will increase seat capacity into Gisborne by operating a new 50-seat Bombardier Q300 aircraft on the Auckland-Gisborne route from 29 May.

The Q300 service, operated by Air Nelson, will replace some of the 19-seat Beech 1900D services between Auckland and Gisborne operated by Eagle Air.

Eagle Air currently operates 47 services per week on the Auckland-Gisborne route. The 11 round-trip services per week utilising the Q300 will add 682 seats a week into the market, and represents a 38% lift in capacity.

Air Nelson and the Gisborne Chamber of Commerce have been working together for some time to increase the capacity available to the region.

Air Nelson General Manager John Hambleton said today he was delighted to be able to bring the new Q300 to Gisborne customers.

“This $20 million dollar investment in the region reflects our confidence that the Gisborne market will continue to grow at a good rate,” he said.

Mr Hambleton said the new Q300 would arrive from Canada in early May.

The purchase of the new aircraft is part of Air New Zealand’s ongoing commitment to investment in regional New Zealand, and its introduction to the Gisborne market is expected to significantly benefit local business travellers and the region’s tourism industry.