Latest / Early Edition with Ryan Bridge / John Funnell: Taupō Mayor on the risk of regional flight routes being cut after Air NZ reported a $40m half-year loss

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John Funnell: Taupō Mayor on the risk of regional flight routes being cut after Air NZ reported a $40m half-year loss · Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: We could have some turbulence on regional routes regional flights
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: in New Zealand. Says cost cutting is going to be
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: a focus after losing well forty million dollars before in
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: the six months to December, and they're expecting to continue
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: that track in the six months following Ravishenka. This is
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: the CEO prepared to cut roots that aren't profitable for
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: the airline. Have listened to what he had to say
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: about the idea yesterday. We do that as general course
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: of business all the time and we'll continue to keep
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: doing that as any airline need to do. That is
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: reviewing those routes the mirror of top Or. John Finnil
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: is with me this morning. John, Good morning, good morning.
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: You worried about Topor, Well.
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: It's of concern, but we're fortunately we've got a very
• 0:43
  Speaker 2: good relationship with the New Zealand and Taupo is quite
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: a popular place. We've got high loadings when the flights
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: come in and out of Topo, the full close to
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: full every time. So we'd be surprised to be in
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: New Zealand cut off Tapou because we're getting a high
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: number of both international and domestic visitors into topo currently.
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: And this is obviously for the Auckland because I know
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: last year you lost the originy of flights to Wellington,
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: didn't you, And then before that sounds here pulled out?
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: Is that Wellington route just not just a bit seems
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: to be a bit of a waste of time. But
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: Auckland doing well.
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: Auckland is doing very well and it was a shame.
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: The Wellington route is a bit of a challenge because
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: of the mountains we've got across to get there. It
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: means this it's a challenging sector to service.
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: John. I'm getting loads of texts on this as you
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: can imagine.
• 1:42
  Speaker 2: This.
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: One says from Sean Topel weals service out of THETA
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: do a much cheaper more flights in the jet service
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: director christ Church Charter Hamilton as well. Do we need it? Yeah?
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: There are other options of course both Maype Hamilton.
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: Okay, but you just take them all? And what about
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: the price too expensive? About writer? I had a look
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: this morning. It was look to be about two hundred
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: and fifty bucks return for a weekend in April from Auckland,
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: which I didn't think was too bad. I don't know
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: if there's a sale.
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: On yeah, I guess it's always difficult of costs myself,
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: coming from the avias an industry, I do understand that
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: costs are rising for operators of aircraft. You know, we've
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: seen unprecedented increases in operational costs of not only fuel
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: but engine components, and so I understand that the airlines
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: does have to trade popularly and the cost is the cost,
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: and there are some economics that are available by going
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: to other airports. But the TAPO sector to Auckland has
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: got a high load factor on it and we have
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: a good relationship with their news Ellen and I'm not
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: expecting any change in near fre There's a lot of
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: activities in Taerpo with the supercars, iron Man and most
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: weekends there's a lot of activity, and then during the
• 3:13
  Speaker 2: week with the business travelers people wanting to go to
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: and from Aalkland.
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: John, appreciate your time this morning, John Fanelle, who's the
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: tape men?
• 3:21
  Speaker 2: For more from early edition with Ryan Bridge. Listen live
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: to News Talks it'd be from five am weekdays, or
• 3:27
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