New Zealand regional carrier Originair has recently provided a convenient flight between two isolated regions in the upper South Island. In August this year, the area recorded record rainfall and experienced widespread flooding, damaging State Highway 6, a major road between the two centers.

A lengthy detour or a quick flight

The usual journey from Nelson to Blenheim would take 1 hour and 45 minutes by road. However, with State Highway 6 closed from August to December, a detour via St Arnaud added an extra hour to the journey, making a day trip unfeasible. With extensive damage to the roads, New Zealand's Transport Authority, Waka Kotahi, commented:

“To keep everyone safe and finish the work as quickly as possible, we must close the road for seven weeks. We realise this is a substantial amount of time, but the route is currently vulnerable, and another serious weather event could seriously damage it and see it closed for months. We must get this work done as quickly as possible.”

NSN BHE originair
Source: Google Maps

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A convenient flight schedule:

With a flight time of 20 minutes, the trip costs NZ$89 ($56) for a standard fare or NZ$99 ($62) for a flexible ticket one way:

Nelson to Blenheim

  • Departed Nelson Airport (NSN) at 07:40, arriving at Blenheim Woodbourne Airport (BHE) at 08:10
  • Departed Nelson Airport (NSN) at 16:00, arriving at Blenheim Woodbourne Airport (BHE) at 16:30
Originair have provided a schedule for day trips
Photo: Originair

Blenheim to Nelson

  • Departed Blenheim Woodbourne Airport (BHE) at 08:40, arriving at Nelson Airport (NSN) at 09:10
  • Departed Blenheim Woodbourne Airport (BHE) at 17:00, arriving at Nelson Airport (NSN) at 17:30

The flights were operated by the airline's 18-seater British Aerospace Jetstream 31 twin-turbo prop-pressurized aircraft with two pilots.

4,000 cars a day

Reports state that the road connection received, on average, 4,000 cars per day, and Te Whatu Ora, Health New Zealand, noted that some of its staff work between the two centers. Nelson Marlborough interim district director Lexie O'Shea from Te Whatu Ora commented:

"Every day, allied health, nursing, and medical staff go between hospitals to see patients receive training and coordinate services. Managers look after services across the sites and regularly travel on this route. Enabling services such as learning and development and IT support teams across the Nelson Marlborough district."

Originair at Nelson AirportThey were initially planned for only two weeks.

With original plans to operate the connection for only two weeks, the demand for the service solidified the council and airline's commitment to continue the service until the highway was due to be reopened in December. With a seven-week commitment, the service had since stopped when roads opened again on December 18.

Making life easier for a range of health professionals, Nelson oncologist Dr. Steve Delany commented on one of his trips on the service:

"It was a perfect day and it was eight minutes in the air so eight minutes compared to three hours."

Originair commenced operations in 2015 and currently operates a fleet of four British Aerospace Jetstreams between a range of New Zealand domestic centers, picking up some abandoned Air New Zealand routes and creating niches of their own.

Sources: Radio New Zealand, 1News, Waka Kotahi