Air Chathams to drop NZ’s only direct link to Norfolk Island

Yesterday, January 21st, Air Chathams announced that from April this year they will no longer fly between Auckland and Norfolk Island.

One of Air Chathams’ ATR 72s that the airline uses to fly to Norfolk Island | Photo: Kiaran Parsons

Currently, the latest flight you can book to Norfolk Island on Air Chathams’ website is Thursday April 24th 2025, with one return flight operating. After this date any flights to Norfolk Island will only operate on a charter basis, working with tour companies wanting to fly groups over peak travel periods for the leisure market.

As with many airlines, since the pandemic, rebuilding passenger numbers has proven difficult, especially on the Norfolk Island route, as travel costs and operational expenses have increased significantly in recent times. 

Adding to these challenges, Air Chathams’ turboprop ATR 72 aircraft is not able to match the lower operating costs of jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737s operated by competitor Qantas that serve other nearby South Pacific destinations. This prevents the airline from discounting airfares further to boost demand without negatively impacting route sustainability to Norfolk Island.

Air Chathams’ second ATR 72 that the airline utilises to Norfolk Island and to the Chatham Islands | Photo: Kiaran Parsons

The first flight to Norfolk Island operated by Air New Zealand took place in mid-2018 when a Convair 580 charter flight flew to Norfolk Island and represents the first international flight for Air Chathams.

Air Chathams has been flying passengers to Norfolk Island from Auckland since September 2019 when the airline began flying to the island using their fleet of Convair 580s. The airline has since operated flights there using Convair 580s, Saab 340s and recently, ATR 72-500s.

The flights not only allowed Kiwis to travel to the remote island and Australians to New Zealand, but they also play a crucial role in supporting the island with freight from New Zealand.