Outer island flights

Press, 11 September 1986, Page 27

Outer island flights

Visitors wanting to visit the outer islands beyond the shores of Rarotonga are well served by two small airlines offering daily services. Cook Islandair, which is 90 per cent owned

by Air New Zealand (the Cook Island Government holds the remaining shares) flies a Britten Norman Islander to Aitutaki, Atiu, Mitiaro and Mauke. The airline, which comes under the wing of Air New Zealand’s manager in the Cook Islands, Mr Bryan Jones, was formed in 1973. Mr Jones described the nine-seat Islander as a “good reliable workhorse.” It is also used to carry freight to the outer islands. Air Rarotonga uses three aircraft for inter-island flights and a smaller Cessna for local sight-seeing work. It operates day tours to Aitutaki with lunch and lagoon cruise for $195. Other flights go to Atiu, nick-named the pineapple island. Atiu has only a few hundred residents and one motel capable of holding 12 guests. Mr Ewan Smith, Air Rarotonga’s managing director, said he was looking at extending the popular Aitutaki day trip to take in Atiu. The airline has recently introduced to its fleet a refurbished four-engine Heron aircraft which will cut the flight time to Atiutaki to less than an hour.