This week I was traveling in New Zealand’s North Island for work. I had flown earlier in the week between Christchurch and Palmerston North; however, for my return, I had booked an open-jaw, meaning I was flying home from a different city – this time, New Plymouth, the largest city in the region of Taranaki. For this flight, I was set to travel with Air New Zealand, on the smallest aircraft currently in the airline’s fleet, the De Havilland Canada DHC-8-300, which is configured to carry 50 passengers across a four-abreast configuration.
New Plymouth Airport (NPL) is located around 15 minutes from the city centre (7.5 miles / 12 km), and is easily accessible by road or bus. The airport is single-level and is operated by the New Plymouth City Council. It has a total of eight gates, and all flights require you to board the aircraft by walking across the tarmac – there are no jet bridges. My flight today was NZ5763, departing at 17:00 with a scheduled arrival time into Christchurch at 18:30.
Check-In
Domestically, Air New Zealand offers a range of fare options, which can include a seat only, a seat with a bag, or additional flexibility, whether it be on the day or in general. My reservation was for ‘seat and bag’, allowing me to check in one bag, up to 50 lbs (23 kg). Being able to easily check in online allowed me to be auto-assigned a window seat up to 24 hours before departure. However, due to traveling with a checked bag, I arrived at the airport earlier in the day and dropped off my bag, meaning that it didn’t need to follow me around for the rest of the day while I was at work.
The attendant at the check-in counter noted to me that the airline’s policy for early bag drop is limited to four hours prior; however, luckily for me, they bent the rules and allowed the bag drop at around six hours before departure. I returned to the airport 30 minutes before departure, just in time to find a seat and clear the notifications on my phone before boarding. When traveling on regional turboprop services in New Zealand, you are not required to pass through airport security, meaning there is no bag check or additional security measures that could have delayed me getting to the gate.
Departure Airport Experience
The airport itself has a cool, calm, and casual vibe, centered around the Airspresso Cafe, which has a range of food and beverage options. This is in the centre of the terminal, straddling the check-in area, bathrooms, arriving baggage belt, and car rental facilities. There was plenty of seating, both inside the terminal, in the cafe precinct, but also outside, allowing those wanting some last-minute fresh air to sit back outside and enjoy the sunshine. New Plymouth had put on a great day of weather, which was enjoyed not only at the airport, but also from the window onboard my flight.
The facilities at NPL were perfect, and the venue was kept clean and tidy. I briefly used the bathrooms before departure; fortunately, these were not crowded or a mess, making my entire time at the airport from check-in through to departure a breeze. One unique feature at the airport is the replica of the iconic 1966 Don Driver. A mural that depicts Charles Kingsford Smith’s trans-Tasman flight. Free WiFi is available for all passengers in the terminal.
Lounge
New Plymouth Airport has an Air New Zealand Lounge, located between check-in and the airport’s departure gates. This can seat up to 102 guests, across 917 square feet (296 square meters), with buffet food facilities with non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages. Complimentary WiFi and business facilities are also on offer. The lounge overlooks the airport tarmac and out to the Pacific Ocean.
Other business facilities at the airport include ‘Ihirangi’ (a large boardroom) that overlooks the terminal below. This includes interactive touchscreen displays, PTZ cameras, ceiling-mounted microphones, and wireless zoom control pads. There is also ‘Hui’, which is suited for small and brief meetings or video calls. Both meeting rooms can be booked directly with the airport.
Boarding
Scheduled to depart at 17:00, my flight started to board at 16:50, and I was one of the first to get on the plane. It was a full flight, with me alongside 49 other passengers holding a boarding pass for a flight to Christchurch Airport (CHC). Boarding was simple and quick; I was on board by 16:55, with my bags stowed in the overhead compartment without issue. The rest of the passengers made their way onto the aircraft, and we were all buckled in by 17:05 when the airplane door closed.
These flights are manned by three crew members: a pilot, and co-pilot in the cockpit, and just one flight attendant. Unfortunately, the friendly woman did not have her name badge on. A welcome announcement was made at 17:05, as the crew completed their final checks before departure, and we commenced our taxi to runway 05L/23R (4,298 feet / 1,310 meters) without issue.
The Seat
The Air New Zealand De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q300 is configured in an all-economy class layout, seating up to 50 passengers across 13 rows. All seats have a standard seat pitch of between 30 and 33 inches (76-84 cm). The exit rows are designated as row 1 (adjoining the single door where we enter), which has an immovable armrest, and row 10.
For the flight, I was seated in seat 8D, which was halfway down the aircraft and just behind the wing. This gave me a front-row seat to watching the turboprop engines start, and the landing gear retract and extension. Overall comfort for the seat was as expected on a regional service. Being 6 feet 1 inches tall, it can feel a little congested at times; however, I was able to wedge my feet in the footspace in front of me and didn’t find the need to get out of my seat during the 90-minute flight south.
IFE & Connectivity
Air New Zealand does not currently offer onboard WiFi across its entire fleet. It does, however, offer it on select international and domestic flights, and is trialing the service on selected domestic services using Starlink on one jet and one ATR aircraft. The lack of internet didn’t faze me, as I had come prepared and downloaded a series on Netflix, which I was able to set up and enjoy on the seatback table.
For other entertainment onboard, there is the airline’s Kia ora’ magazine, which features several destinations offered within the carrier’s network, usually one domestic, short-haul, and long-haul destination. This is included among other advertisements, recipes, and stories. These are complementary for you to take with you after the flight.
In-Flight Service
Our flight crew was polite and professional. Our female hostess welcomed me on board with a big smile and was delightful throughout the flight. While Air NZ is currently going through a refresh of its crew uniform, this flight saw us still utilizing the older Trelise Cooper design. This is set to be replaced by ‘Anything but uniform‘, by Emilia Wickstead, with a full rollout by early 2026.
Given the full flight, the attendant kept to time and was able to serve everyone without any major holdups or issues. Her announcements on the intercom were clear and professional.
Meals And Beverages
Regional flights on Air New Zealand usually include a complimentary drink, either hot (coffee, tea) or cold (water). This is accompanied by a light snack, which today was the caramel-flavoured popcorn, or savoury chick-pea puffs. While I wouldn’t suggest either of these is paired well with my cup of tea, they were still enjoyable.
The hot drinks are served in a paper cup; however, the airline does encourage passengers to bring their personal reusable cups onboard. Air New Zealand has gone away from the paper lid, which does mean you need to keep your wits about you in case of any unexpected turbulence. The tea and snack service commenced at 17:35, and I had my piping hot cup of tea in hand by 17:42.
Arrival Airport Experience
With the onboard service wrapping up at 17:50, I peered out the window and could recognize the vista that is the South Island of New Zealand. This meant that the flight attendant started to collect rubbish board, and the landing announcement was made at 18:11. We commenced our descent at 18:12, which was followed by the complimentary Air New Zealand lollies (candy), of which I always help myself to two.
There was minor turbulence as we passed through the clouds; however, other than that, the landing was uneventful, and we touched down at 18:31. The crew completed their welcome announcement at 18:32, as we taxiied to the airport gate. The door was open by 18:35, and full disembarkation was done by 18:40. My checked bag was promptly at the arrival belt just minutes after I had walked back into the terminal.
The Flight Details
The flight departed and arrived on time, meaning there were no knock-on effects to my day’s plans. The aircraft operating the service bears registration ZK-NEJ and is a 19-year-old De Havilland Canada Dash 8-300, serial number 625. These aircraft are common for regional flights in New Zealand, and are otherwise supported by the carriers’ ATR 72-600 and domestic-configured Airbus A320s. The Q300 is the smallest aircraft in the airline’s fleet, and offers services to the smaller of the nation’s active Air New Zealand gateways. Air NZ has 23 of these aircraft active.
According to data from ch-aviation, ZK-NEJ was manufactured by Bombardier Aerospace in Canada, under test registration C-FFPA. The airplane was delivered to Air Nelson (once a subsidiary of Air New Zealand) back on August 4, 2006. This was eventually transferred into the mainline fleet of the carrier on November 19, 2019. The aircraft is powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW123 engines. The day of my flight, Flightradar24 identified that this aircraft had operated a total of six legs, transporting passengers from New Plymouth – Auckland – New Plymouth – Christchurch – New Plymouth – Christchurch, and eventually to Nelson.
