Sounds Air’s first flight out of Wanaka departed yesterday morning (Monday November 2) at 8:00am to touch down in Christchurch less than an hour later to rave reviews from at least two passengers.

All nine seats were taken and champagne was handed out to celebrate the inaugural flight. Both the morning’s return flights were full. 

Longtime Wanaka locals Ron and Claudia McAulay were exuberant in their praise for the commercial passenger service provided by regional airline Sounds Air, saying the Pilatus PC12 aircraft was comfortable, quick and relatively quiet.

“The flight was superb, unbelievable, such a pleasurable experience,” Ron said, “and best of all no hanging around, no security, no waiting for your bags.”

Sounds Air ground crew Meg Griffin and Sounds Air ground operations manager Renee Kiri aided the passengers for the first Wanaka to Christchurch flight. 

As a pilot and former captain of commercial passenger aircraft, Ron said the aircraft’s equipment and standard of professionalism was as good as any operation in his experience.

He said a return flight from Wanaka to Christchurch via the Queenstown Airport means the expense of a two hour return car journey, another two hours minimum in the check-in and boarding process, flight times on top of that, plus the additional cost of parking.

“When you factor all that into the cost of your ticket, there’s just no comparison,” he said. 

Queenstown Lakes District mayor Jim Boult and Queenstown Airport Corporation CEO Colin Keel farewell Sounds Air's first flight from Wanaka. 

He predicted there are plenty of locals who will follow in their footsteps. “Once they’ve done it once, they’ll never go back again.”

Former Wanaka Airport facilities and maintenance manager Ralph Fegan, who will be working part-time for Sounds Air, said he wasn’t surprised that people were impressed by the smoothness of the Sounds Air operation.

“It’s all about personal service with this little airline,” he said. 

Sounds Air’s scheduled passenger service from Wanaka to Christchurch currently operates three same day return flights Monday to Friday and a return flight on Saturday morning and again on Sunday evening.

PHOTOS: Supplied