Norfolk Island Airlines (Norfolk Island) has announced that it will be launching a Brisbane International–Norfolk Island–Auckland International service, following the decision by Air New Zealand (NZ, Auckland International) to abandon the Auckland – Norfolk route.
Gregg Prechelt, Director of Norfolk Island Airlines, confirmed on his LinkedIn page that the start-up will commence a once weekly passenger service from May 27, 2017 using a B737-300 wet-leased from Nauru Airlines (Nauru). Depending on demand, a second flight may be added. Prechelt has said that they will be targeting travel wholesalers and agents.
Air New Zealand is the only scheduled airline currently serving the tiny Australian island, which is located 1,466 kilometres from Brisbane and 1,090 kilometres from Auckland. It flies once weekly Norfolk – Auckland direct, but has announced it will stop the route in May 2017, saying that it is not commercially viable. Without a direct flight, Kiwis would need to fly an additional 3,000 kilometres to go via Brisbane or Sydney.
Prechelt previously headed up Norfolk Jet Express (Norfolk Island), which connected Norfolk Island with mainland Australian cities as well as Auckland. That airline went into liquidation in 2005.
