Art Deco charter flight: Nelson airline brings back Napier connection, for one weekend only

An Originair flight receives guard of honour treatment when a new service through Napier started in 2021. It didn't last, but the small regional airline will be back with a charter service from Nelson for the Art Deco Festival in February.

Nelson-based regional airline Originair is resurrecting a Napier connection as a charter flight special for the 2026 Art Deco Festival.

But there’s no word on whether the airline is considering resuming a short-lived Napier service it started in late 2021.

It also offered destinations such as Hamilton, but currently services only Palmerston North and Wellington in the North Island, and South Island airports Nelson, Westport, Blenheim and Christchurch.

Now, in what is hailed as a first for Hawke’s Bay, Originair and Hawke’s Bay and Nelson airports have teamed up to create a “Flapper Flight” charter, connecting the two regions for the festival in February.

Uniquely, a modern Jetstream could be seen on the same tarmac as some of the vintage aircraft that fly-in for the festival each year.

It will fly Nelson to Napier direct on the Friday of February 20 and return on February 22, and offer reciprocal flights for Hawke’s Bay residents.

Hawke’s Bay Airport CEO Nick Flack says the charter package forms part of the airport’s air service development strategy - “to find and fill planes with a good operational fit”.

“This charter will boost awareness of the Art Deco Festival Napier and Hawke’s Bay generally as a destination in the Nelson Tasman region,” he says.

“We’re ... pleased to see this new one-off charter come to life, the first of what we hope will be many more charters into Hawke’s Bay for events that have broad appeal,” Flack says.

Nelson Airport CEO Brendan Cook says the airport is always looking for innovative ways to support even better regional connectivity.

“If it proves popular, we see a strong opportunity for more charter services to provide direct links between our two incredible regions.”

Art Deco Trust general manager Jeremy Smith says connecting directly with Nelson opens the door for more people to experience the magic of Art Deco Napier.

He says the chartered Jetstream becomes part of the experience, in a festival that spotlights not only Napier architecture and art deco lifestyles but also the modes of travel.

“This is no ordinary flight. It is an opportunity for people to join New Zealand’s largest heritage celebration, set against the backdrop of Napier’s remarkable built heritage,” says Smith.

Tickets for the Art Deco package into Hawke’s Bay will be sold through the trust, at $1995 per person, including return flights from Nelson, two nights’ accommodation at the Crown Hotel Ahuriri, the Deco Decadence Grand Ball, airport and event transfers, and Deco keepsakes.

The $676 Napier-Nelson-Napier flights will be available on the Originair website.