Local tourism operator Air Milford has seen a surge in demand since New Zealand's government relaxed its COVID-19-related border restrictions. The regional airline operates a fleet of fixed-wing aircraft offering scenic flights to some of the South Island of New Zealand's most picturesque destinations. The airline website advertises:

Air Milford is proudly NZ owned and operated, offering luxurious and exclusive flightseeing in a fleet of Cessna aircraft around Queenstown and specialising in Milford Sound. We have created a range of different flight options or you can create your own with our charter flights.

You’ll take off from Queenstown on your Air Milford flight and very quickly leave everyday reality as you rise up above some of planet Earth’s most incredible geography. We will generally take a set route from Queenstown over the Southern Alps and into Milford Sound. Then we will fly a different route on the flight back.

'Complex and Stressful' time

Antony Sproull, the operations manager for the airline, spoke with the New Zealand online newspaper Stuff.co.nz, commenting that the 'past two years had been complex and stressful.'

The airline operates scenic flights, such as Milford and Doubtful Sound, Stewart Island, and Mount Cook.

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New Zealand's border is open.

With the removal of border restrictions, International travelers have flocked to the resort town of Queenstown, the majority of travelers visiting from Australia, the United States of America, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines, with Air Milford's Anthony Sproull commenting:

“We have gone from famine to feast. Now we have got every plane in the sky. We are operating at pre-pandemic levels with still only 80% staffing, so it’s quite intense.

“It hasn’t been a flick of the switch, but it has come quicker than expected. Right now 95% of the internationals want us to fly them to Milford Sound, that’s on their bucket list so that’s just where the demand is taking us.”

A family of Cessnas

In 2021, the airline had three of its five aircraft in hibernation to ride through the pandemic. The airline operates four Cessna Caravans (ZK – SKM, ZK – SKA, ZK – SKB, ZK – SKY) and one Cessna 185 (ZK – ENW), offering uninterrupted views of the beauty below.

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Milford Sound Piopiotahi Aerodrome

The remote Milford Sound Piopiotahi Aerodrome (MFN) serves tourists and the region's fishing industry. Development in the 1950s saw the airstrip constructed with a runway of 503 meters (550 yards) in 1952. Since then, the aerodrome has been further developed and now boats a runway of 792 meters (866 yards).

Operators at the airport must receive a landing permit from the Department of Conservation. If not flown to the region in the last six months, must obtain a particular pilot's briefing.

With the push towards carbon-neutral tourism, proposals have been mooted to close the scenic airport, encouraging travelers to bus into the area. Travel by road can take up to four hours from Queenstown, compared with a 40-minute flight, making this beautiful day trip even more unique from above.

Sources: Stuff.co.nz, Transport.govt.nz, New Zealand Herald