TRIP REPORT | INDEX
Route: Wellington International Airport – Christchurch International Airport
Trip taken: January 2019
Scheduled Time: 1 hour
Flying is definitely the easiest way to cross the distance between the two islands of New Zealand. The capital Wellington is located on the southern tip of the North Island, while Christchurch lays in the middle of the South Island. This one-hour long domestic flight is subject to a very interesting set of rules, mainly considering the boarding procedure. The entire process symbolically tells you a lot about New Zealand's society.
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| Wellington International Airport domestic terminal |
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| Self check-in at the departures hall of Wellington Airport |
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| Flight schedule at the domestic terminal of Wellington Airport |
From arriving to the airport until boarding the plane, the passenger basically has no interaction with human personnel on the ground - and the whole procedure takes around 15 minutes. The check-in process is performed at the self check-in counters, just like on all Air New Zealand flights – a short procedure especially if the passenger does not have any luggage to check-in. The biggest surprise was the fact that there was no security check or any kind of x-ray screening - this rule is applicable for all domestic flights in New Zealand apart from those that connect the biggest cities. Finally, the boarding pass is self-checked at the gate and getting the green light means boarding procedure within 15 minutes after arriving at the airport.
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| Waiting hall of Wellington Airport |
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| All gates for domestic flights to smaller cities have a single entrance |
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| Boarding time for the flight NZ5367 is set to last only 10 minutes |
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| ATR72-600 at the tarmac at Wellington International Airport |
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| The interior of the aircraft features an elegant design |
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| Safety information card on Air New Zealand’s ATR72 |
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| Double portion of cookies and a soft drink offered to passengers on NZ5367 |
This well-timed flight was a smooth experience for the ATR72, one of the smaller aircraft of Air New Zealand's fleet. Christchurch International Airport was very easy to navigate, so the time for this flight would total up to 90 minutes - a mission impossible at any other airports I have tried so far.
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Love their livery.
ReplyDeletePretty good free catering for such a short flight.
ReplyDeleteThat ATR immediately reminded me of Air Serbia.
ReplyDeleteWell done and quite wicked report.
Lovely trip report. Refreshing change from some of obnoxious/sponsored reports focused on swanky lounges and airline meals. Aviation era enabled faster and cheaper access to faraway places and many trip reports completely miss the magic of that travel experience. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI don't believe this is true. How is it possible?
ReplyDelete