Media Release
16 December 2016
There will be more opportunities for travel between Norfolk Island and mainland Australia as Air New Zealand has announced more flights in 2017.
The airline will be increasing flights on its Sydney-Norfolk Island route between November 2017 and February 2018 and there will be an extra flight on its Brisbane-Norfolk Island route in May 2017.
This is a positive sign more tourists are visiting Norfolk Island from the mainland and this will create more opportunities for Norfolk Island’s tourism industry and the local economy.
While Air New Zealand has increased its flights to Norfolk Island from mainland Australia, it has made a commercial decision to end its direct service from Auckland in May 2017.
The carrier made this decision based on long-term declining customer demand with the route no longer commercially sustainable.
Norfolk Island residents will continue to be able to travel to Auckland from Norfolk Island via Brisbane or Sydney.
Air New Zealand and other flight operators can provide chartered flight services between Norfolk Island and New Zealand.
Air New Zealand will continue to provide freight services from Sydney and Brisbane, while shipping freight services between Norfolk Island and New Zealand will continue to operate as normal.
We have plenty of time to consider how to best work with the changed arrangements and get the best outcome for Norfolk Island residents before 21 May 2017.
I will convene a working group in January 2017 of those parties impacted by the cessation of air freight from New Zealand to enable us to plan alternative freight delivery arrangements.
The Hon Gary Hardgrave