Barrier Air eyeing up more routes as Air NZ cuts regional services

Checkpoint

Air New Zealand announced it's ditching direct flights from Invercargill to Wellington from January next year. It's also swapping out larger jets for much smaller twin engine turboprop planes on some Queenstown and Dunedin flights; meaning there's a hundred fewer seats on a flight. Barrier Air swooped on the Kaitaia Auckland route when the national carrier ditched it about a decade ago and in August, the regional airline also started flying Kerkikeri to Auckland return, in direct competition with Air New Zealand. Barrier Air chief executive Grant Bacon spoke to Lisa Owen.