Five years after announcing a Wānaka to Christchurch passenger service, Sounds Air has announced the service will be cancelled at the end of September, blaming “out of control” aviation costs.

Sounds Air managing director Andrew Crawford told Radio NZ this morning (Monday July 21) that despite “very, very good” booking numbers for the service, the airline had no choice but to cancel its Wānaka to Christchurch and Blenheim to Christchurch services.

The move means the loss of “about ten staff” in Wānaka and Christchurch, he said.

“Since Covid, aviation has been out of control cost-wise,” he said.

“We are really faced with no choice. In the last three months we’ve had another half a million dollars of annual costs imposed on the business.

“At some point you have to say ‘no more’.”

Andrew said he was “really worried” about the number of people on the regional flights who fly to access healthcare.

“It’s a big part of our business,” he said.

“All these regional services provided connectivity, and a big part of that is health care.”

Sounds Air withdrew other regional services in December 2024.

“In some ways it’s a relief,” Andrew said, because “the pressure on the business, staff, and shareholders is extreme”.

In addition to sky-rocketing maintenance costs, exacerbated by the low Kiwi dollar, Andrew also said it was a “serious problem” getting aircraft engineers.

He said Sounds Air airfares had increased by 22 percent since Covid and they could put them up another 22 percent and “it still wouldn’t be enough”.

The company will get rid of its nine-seater aircraft and concentrate on offering its original services in the Cook Strait area.

The Sounds Air Wānaka to Christchurch service was announced in August 2020 and began operating in November 2020. The service will close at the end of September 2025.

PHOTO: Supplied