Vfw614 From Germany, joined Dec 2001, 3586 posts, RR: 5 Posted (4 years 3 months 1 week 2 days 6 hours ago) and read 2565 times:
In the 1970s/1980s Mount Cook Airline had a sizeable operation into Aroaki / Mount Cook airport with their HS748s despite the narrowish runway. AFAIK, they used an even smaller airport nearby (Twizel?) for diversions. IIRC, after the full takeover of Mount Cook Airlines ANZ continued flights into Aoraki for a while. What is the reason that nowadays there are no longer schedules from there? Is it for regulatory reasons or a simple commercial decision?
EDICHC From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 1, posted (4 years 3 months 1 week 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 2527 times:
I would imagine it would be a commercial decision. I can't really see a a market for commercial scheduled operations. I would imagine most tourists to the Mount Cook area elect to arrive by road. No offence meant to the local populace, but let's just say it's a liitle too small to support a regular sheduled service.
Vfw614 From Germany, joined Dec 2001, 3586 posts, RR: 5 Reply 2, posted (4 years 3 months 1 week 2 days 3 hours ago) and read 2485 times:
While this is true of course, Mount Cook Airline's traffic was mainly leisure traffic, so catering for local needs was at best an added bonus. There are still scheduled flights to Wanaka. I have never been in the area, so I do not really know how these two destinations compare.
Zkpilot From New Zealand, joined Mar 2006, 4739 posts, RR: 10 Reply 3, posted (4 years 3 months 1 week 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 2398 times:
Mount Cook Airline has moved on to be a proper air transport airline... those ops to the mountain were more along the lines of a scenic/charter operation. I'm not 100% but I still think there are small aircraft that can be chartered to fly there with tourist operators.
Vfw614 From Germany, joined Dec 2001, 3586 posts, RR: 5 Reply 4, posted (4 years 3 months 1 week 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 2262 times:
Mount Cook Airline built up a sizeable scheduled network over the years, although of course Aoraki Mount Cook Airport flights mainly catered for time-constrained tourist groups doing a mad dash through NZ. Interesting to see that nowadays visits seem to rely on coach travel whereas 30 years air travel was all the rage.
EDICHC From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (4 years 3 months 4 days 4 hours ago) and read 2096 times:
Quoting Vfw614 (Reply 4): Interesting to see that nowadays visits seem to rely on coach travel whereas 30 years air travel was all the rage.
Not much in the way of coach travel.
It's more campervan and car/caravan combo that you see at Mt Cook. Those visitors from overseas that have a bit more cash tend to pick up thier hire car at CHC, drive down, and stay at the hotel. Of course there will be exceptions but that seems to be the general trend. Can't see in all honesty, there being any market in the forseeable future for a regular commercial service.
Vfw614 From Germany, joined Dec 2001, 3586 posts, RR: 5 Reply 6, posted (4 years 3 months 4 days 4 hours ago) and read 2072 times:
The times they are a changin,, I suppose If memory serves, Mount Cook even had some competition between 1985-1987 when Newmans Air served the area through Glentanner with their two Dash 7s. Read an interesting article in a Flight issue from the mid 1970s in which the MD of Mt. Cook explained how mainly time-pressed Japanese and US visitors flew on the HS.748 to Aoraki and Queentown. Interesting bit of information was that one row usually was unoccupied as it had no windows and the passengers of course took the flights not only to get from A to B, but mainly to have some aerial sightseeing thrown in.
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From Germany, joined Dec 2001, 3586 posts, 
From , joined Dec 1969, posts, 
If memory serves, Mount Cook even had some competition between 1985-1987 when Newmans Air served the area through Glentanner with their two Dash 7s. Read an interesting article in a Flight issue from the mid 1970s in which the MD of Mt. Cook explained how mainly time-pressed Japanese and US visitors flew on the HS.748 to Aoraki and Queentown. Interesting bit of information was that one row usually was unoccupied as it had no windows and the passengers of course took the flights not only to get from A to B, but mainly to have some aerial sightseeing thrown in.
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