To stimulate demand on the Sydney-Rotorua route, Air New Zealand and Rotorua International Airport have worked together to reduce costs and improve schedules, but the airline will suspend the service during winter due as seasonally low demand affects the route’s viability.
From September 2014, Air New Zealand will move its twice-weekly service to Monday and Thursday allowing more time for over-weekend visits, rather than the current Tuesday and Saturday departures.
Rotorua International Airport will also reduce its international departure tax from $25 to $15 from late October. The move is seen by local authorities as critical to the region’s ongoing efforts to attract inbound tourism and to increase visiting family and friends traffic.
Rotorua International Airport CEO Alastair Rhodes said reducing the departure tax will help further grow passenger demand. “It’s absolutely critical for us to be attractive to regional customers. The reduction in departure tax and the new, more convenient timetable will help us to achieve that.”
Both parties agreed to suspend the Rotorua-Sydney service during the winter season between May and August, aiming to focus on growing passenger numbers during the peak September to April travel season.
