A new partnership between Hamilton Airport, Palmerston North Airport and Originair has secured the return of the Hamilton-Palmerston North route, which was axed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The route was previously serviced by Air New Zealand.
The direct weekday service will commence on October 19 departing Hamilton and bound for Palmerston North at 1pm each day.
The service will additionally offer Nelson and Hamilton travellers an option to travel to either city, via a brief stop in Palmerston North.
A direct Hamilton-Nelson route is under consideration by Originair.
"Both the Hamilton and Palmerston North airport companies are committed to helping drive regional recovery, and the re-establishment of this service can only help," Hamilton Airport chief executive Mark Morgan said.
He also described the new service as a "welcome vote of confidence during difficult times".
Hamilton & Waikato Tourism chief executive Jason Dawson said the new service will help bring more visitors to the greater Waikato region.
"Palmerston North has been a key market for our region for many years in the corporate and leisure travel spaces. Events are also a key driver and additional flight capacity is welcomed, especially during peak periods of travel like Fieldays," Dawson said.
The route will be serviced initially with a 19-seat Jetstream aircraft, but plans are in place to increase the schedule in late January 2021, if there is the demand.
Originair is aiming to operate two return services Monday - Friday for same day business travellers and has expanded its fleet to allow for this growth, purchasing an additional 19-seater British Aerospace Jetstream 32EP.
