International flights to/from CBR

[Mattg]

I have heard a lot of rumors lately that Canberra will soon be able to, and will operate international flights. The taxi driver I got the other day reckons that there will be direct CBR-AKL flights within a few weeks. I'm prepared to take that with a pinch of salt, but does anyone know when CBR will actually get direct international flights and/or what routes there will be etc.?

 

[travellerqff]

One year ago, a friend of mine who is a FA at Air New Zealand said that he'd heard company talk of a daily A320 AKL-CBR service, if international operations ever stared. But saying that, didn't Air Pacific fly in there for a short time a few years back? I'm sure Qantas or Jetconnect would launch a CBR-AKL flight if Air New Zealand started.

 

[markis10]

The MD of Air NZ said they were looking at two new Australian ports, with MCY one its odds on CBR is the other.

 

[wingspan]

But saying that, didn't Air Pacific fly in there for a short time a few years back?

They sure did - CBR-NAN.

Seems that international flights are expected towards the end of the year to New Zealand, with flights to asia beginning early next year.

 

[Boris spatsky]

Sources tell me that it is likely to be CBR- Wellington first, not AKL.

Surely it relies on the new terminal being finished though (no room for customs etc as is) which is not due for completion for 12 months. I think 'a few weeks' is unlikely.

 

[elbarto]

I've often wondered why we don't have flights to NZ from CBR. There are plenty of Kiwis here believe me! Flights to NZ should be more successful than the FJ flights to NAN which was primarily leisure focused. The new terminal is supposed to include facilities for customs and immigration. How they did it old terminal is beyond me.

 

[richie9x]

Sources tell me that it is likely to be CBR- Wellington first, not AKL.

That's interesting. But I wouldn't have thought that the CBR-WEL pair would have enough demand to warrant a direct flight. Even though they are both government capitals I would not have thought there would be all that much diplomatic or ministerial traffic between the two.

To me CBR-AKL seems more likely as you have Auckland's greater population base. Auckland airport doesn't have a curfew. Also the flight could be used to feed AirNZs north american flights, similar to how they have targeted the MCY flights.

I guess time will tell.

 

[Isochronous]

Now all we need is a fast train linking CBR with Central Station in Sydney and that's the second airport issue resolved (it's probably likely to be completed sooner than the Badgery's Creek melodrama)

 

[elbarto]

Or a train linking CBR airport to CBR CBD


Sent from my iPhone

 

[Isochronous]

That too, elbarto, that too!

 

[bigjobs]

is there a 1st world capital that is not serviced internationally? are we the only one?

 

[Simo]

Maybe not quite first world but HBA has no international flight either, lol

It will be interesting to see what pricing they will have when the launch flights direct to NZ from MCY,

 

[markis10]

Maybe not quite first world but HBA has no international flight either, lol

It will be interesting to see what pricing they will have when the launch flights direct to NZ from MCY,

Tickets went on sale last week for $99 ew.

 

[straitman]

I've often wondered why we don't have flights to NZ from CBR. There are plenty of Kiwis here believe me!

There's plenty of Kiwis everywhere except in NZ :!:

Or a train linking CBR airport to CBR CBD 

Sent from my iPhone

A tram would work for Canberra. Not really far enough for a train service IMHO

 

[Stuser]

My outrageously limited understanding of this is that any actual flights justifying the "international" in Canberra INTERNATIONAL Airport will only happen once the second half of the "new" airport is built.

I've read somewhere that airlines will be "considering" it... bla bla... But my own uneducated view is that it seems likely, especially given the increasing congestion in Sydney....

Having a KIWI girlfriend who lives just south of Auckland I say BRING IT ON..... So sick of having to go to Sydney or Melbourne first to fly "all the way" to NZ.... and often costing me just as much domestically as it does for the international flight BAH...

 

[elbarto]

A tram would work for Canberra. Not really far enough for a train service IMHO

I was being sarcastic, but a decent bus service would work well. Let's not get started on light rail in Canberra. That saga's been going on about as long as high speed rail and a second airport in Sydney.

My outrageously limited understanding of this is that any actual flights justifying the "international" in Canberra INTERNATIONAL Airport will only happen once the second half of the "new" airport is built.

I've read somewhere that airlines will be "considering" it... bla bla... But my own uneducated view is that it seems likely, especially given the increasing congestion in Sydney....

Having a KIWI girlfriend who lives just south of Auckland I say BRING IT ON..... So sick of having to go to Sydney or Melbourne first to fly "all the way" to NZ.... and often costing me just as much domestically as it does for the international flight BAH...

I looked at going to NZ this long weekend we're having, but the time involved in getting there and back made it unviable.

 

[Mattg]

So, as most people are saying, demand is clearly there. Personally I would love to see direct services, even if it was just a bit like the current SYD-ZQN arrangement. Is it simply a matter now of waiting for the new terminal to be finished, or could someone start services tomorrow if they wanted?

 

[Awesom Andy]

At the moment, ANY public transport option to/from the airport apart from cabs would be nice.

And given that a VFT would still take an hour or so to get to SYD, I don't think it's a feasible option. (Although it takes an hour or so just to go down Southern Cross Drive during peak hours these days).

 

[Mattg]

At the moment, ANY public transport option to/from the airport apart from cabs would be nice.

IIRC there is something like an hourly bus service, but it isn't very good.

 

[Stuser]

IIRC there is something like an hourly bus service, but it isn't very good.

I beleive there used to be a more regular bus service, but it was discontinued due to lack of passengers.....