Mike Scott flies on Air Chathams from Wellington Airport to Inia William Tuuta Memorial Airport on the Chatham Islands and finds Kiwi charm 45 minutes into the future.
Visas and requirements:
No passport or visitor visa required – it is a domestic flight even though you cross into a different time zone. The Chathams sit 45 minutes ahead of the mainland. There is one likely catch when booking. The airline may want to know you’ve sorted accommodation or transport because turning up without a plan might leave tourists in a bind – options are limited.
Departure airport experience:
We walked the length of Wellington Airport to the very last gate, where the crowd told its own story – the locals in Red Band gumboots and work boots, clearly dressed for where they were headed rather than where they’d been. The mood was relaxed and friendly, the desk staff helpful, and there wasn’t a single complication. No security queues, no delays and boarding was hailed with a friendly, “yep, we’re good to go”.
Seat:
This might be a first – no allocated seating. You board and pick your spot. I ended up next to Ross, a Chatham Islands regular heading over for work. Ross gave me a rundown of what to expect on the island.
Legroom was better than I’d anticipated; the only real downside was the overhead lockers, which were on the small side. Interestingly, half the 68 seats of the ATR plane were given over to freight rather than passengers, a reminder that this flight is as much a supply line for the island as a transport for people. (The return had only 12 seats for passengers, with the rest taken up by pāua, kina, bluecod and crayfish).
Crew:
Genuinely warm and personable. I got to know our serving flight attendant’s name, Bernadette, during the 1h 45m flight. The kind of easy familiarity you don’t often get on bigger carriers.
Passengers:
The flight was full with a mix of Chatham Islands residents returning home, a handful of workers heading over and two tour groups, leading to plenty of easy chats en route.
Food and drink:
Better than expected for a domestic hop – two bags of chips, a cookie and tea or coffee served individually on a tray rather than wheeled down the aisle on a trolley. Bernadette came to each passenger to ask what we wanted, then delivered it by hand.
Entertainment:
No Wi-Fi, no screens, but I didn’t miss either. I spent the entire flight talking to Ross, who was far more entertaining than anything on a screen could have been, learning about his experience on the Chatham Islands. I was lucky he didn’t mind my questions.
Arrival airport experience:
This was the highlight because the Chatham Islands’ new airport terminal is a genuinely thoughtful piece of design. The carpet and colour tones are drawn from the local landscape; there’s photography of the islands on the walls, and woodwork motifs echoing the shapes of the island’s tree impressions, a well-known local attraction of Moriori culture. Small, but beautifully done.
The best bit:
The overall charm of the flight. The destination had me feeling like I was heading on an international trip but chaperoned by an airline so quintessentially Kiwi, arguably more so than anything on the mainland.
The worst bit:
The worst bit – not learning both flight attendants’ names.
Final verdict:
Air Chathams isn’t just an airline – it’s a necessary lifeline for the only part of New Zealand in a different time zone. It is one of the friendliest, most distinctly New Zealand travel experiences you can have without leaving the country – even though you feel like you have.
www.airchathams.co.nz