Sounds Air (S8, Picton) will end its Blenheim-Kaikoura flights on December 29, leaving the latter airport with no scheduled passenger service. The route will be discontinued due to the reopening of the highway between the cities, 3rd Level New Zealand reported.

The regional specialist launched the flights, operated with Cessna (single turboprop) 208 Caravan, shortly after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake destroyed parts of Kaikoura, as well as the highway and the railway leading from the city north to Blenheim. According to the Sounds Air website, the flights were operated up to 5x weekly.

Sounds Air focuses mostly on routes crossing the Cook Strait between New Zealand's South and North Islands, but also operates a Blenheim-Christchurch service on the South Island and Wellington-Taupo on the North Island. According to the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand, the carrier currently operates a fleet of five PC-12s, three Cessna 208B Grand Caravans, and two Cessna 208 Caravans.