Air Milford (Queenstown International) launched its scheduled ops on January 21, offering once weekly return flights from Queenstown International to Te Anau on New Zealand's south island, reports NZ news site Stuff. Operations manager and pilot Antony Sproull has indicated that if the trial is successful, the carrier would continue the service throughout the summer months.
Queenstown is already a very popular tourist destination, particularly for adventure sports and skiing. Queenstown's small airport currently serves around 25,000 passengers per week. Te Anau airport is located 100 kilometres to its southwest, and has generally only been used for charter and scenic flights.
Founded in 1993, Air Milford is a family-owned enterprise and operates a fleet of five aircraft including three Cessna (single turboprop) Grand Caravan 208Bs and as well as a Cessna (single piston) 185 and 206. It offers personalised sightseeing excursions around the Queenstown and Milford Sound region as well as charter flights to New Zealand’s Fiordland and Southern Alps.
