Sounds Air will provide Westport's new air service after Air New Zealand bails out.
Buller District Council and the airline today announced a six-year partnership for the new air service.
Pending Civil Aviation approvals, Sounds Air will take over on April 28 - the day Air New Zealand exits.
Sounds Air has bought a nine-seater pressurised Pilatus PC12 for the new service. It will fly between Westport and Wellington daily, except Saturdays, offering 26 flights a week compared to Air New Zealand's 20.
Mondays and Fridays - the busiest days of the week - will feature three return flights. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays will provide two return flights.
The first flight will leave Westport at 6.15am. The last flight will return at 6.40pm.
Air New Zealand flights leave Westport later in the morning and return earlier in the evening - a timetable that hasn't suited businesspeople in particular.
On Sundays, Sounds Air will offer an evening return flight. Air New Zealand currently offers a lunchtime flight.
The Sounds Air plane, and its pilots, will be based in Westport.
The 40-minute flight - 10 minutes faster than Air New Zealand's - will cost $199 each way for adults and $179 for children, including a 20kg baggage allowance per person.
A joint council/Sounds Air statement said the Pilatus was a high-class turbo prop, single-engine passenger plane, supported by renowned Swiss company Pilatus International.
"The plane has a proven track record and is currently used extensively in both Australia and America. We are excited to bring it to New Zealand for scheduled services.
"It is an excellent fit for both the volume of passengers we have and the weather and terrain in our region. The plane is fully pressurised and features the latest technology and safety measures. Passengers will notice high levels of comfort and low noise."
- By Lee Scanlon of the Westport News
