Long-time Queenstown flightseeing operator Air Milford has opted to get creative in a means to keep its planes in the air, get some cashflow in, support a prominent Southland charity, and share the love with surrounding communities.

Air Milford is looking south this summer after approaches from Invercargill Airport bosses and Fiordland regional tourism operators to bring its planes to Invercargill and offer scenic flights from there. With overseas visitors making up the majority of its passengers, the company, like most operators locally, is doing the international border closures hard.

On the flip side local Wakatipu residents get super cheap flights to Invercargill - $99 per adult, just to help with fuel costs, while the company relocates its planes south.

An initial pilot to the proposal last weekend (11-12 December) saw a good number of locals snap up cheap flights south as Air Milford relocated its two, 12-seater Cessna Caravans to Invercargill ready for the Sunday round trips to Manapouri.

“People have been really keen to head to Invercargill and see family or friends, or do some Christmas shopping, then fly back with us on Sunday night,” says chief pilot Ant Sproull, who released the seats on Queenstown Trading.

By Friday almost 70 Southlanders had booked for the $499 two-and-a-half hour sightseeing flight to Te Anau-Manapouri Airport, via a scenic flight over the beautiful fiords. Dairy farming is doing well and he’s expecting southerners to treat themselves or family members with the trip.

“Not that many people been to it, but it’s the cutest little terminal,” says Ant.

A taste of the fiords being offered on the Air Milford trips. Photo: Supplied

Through a family connection, he’s teaming up with Miles Better Pies, which started out in Te Anau, offering some good Southland kai - pies, cheese and date scones, sausage rolls and cups of tea and coffee at the terminal upon landing. This is followed by bubbly and drinks in the afternoon. Passengers will check out some local venison hunting history displayed in the little terminal.

“It’s a rate-funded airport that’s not used to its full capacity and we were asked if we’d like to help,” says Ant. “It was Invercargill Airport that approached us also, so all credit to them.”

It’s a first for Invercargill Airport hosting Cessna Caravans and while it’s not a money making venture, Ant says he’s donating one ticket fare from each trip to the Southland Charity Hospital, raising almost $2500 on the first day.

The hospital was established in 2019 following Southlander Blair Vining’s highly-publicised battle with terminal bowel cancer.

“We flew Blair and his family to Milford before he passed and it was really special,” says Ant, a friend of Blair’s Queenstown family. “We’ve kept in touch.”

The Fiordland trips depart at 8am, midday and 3pm.

“It’s an opportunity to use our equipment and keep our staff in jobs, while giving back to the community and supporting a charity,” says Ant.

So far the largest appeal has been from Baby Boomers and retired people and Ant believes there’s an even larger market with some disposable income in the south, providing they can keep the costs affordable.

He’s hoping to operate another day of the Fiordland flights in January and already has bookings now, with Stewart Island next on the horizon.

“We’re hoping to take the planes down again around March to coincide with the mutton bird season.”

To book ahead visit: www.airmilford.co.nz