Air New Zealand's direct flight between Wellington and Invercargill will soon be no more. 

It's being scrapped, with its last service in mid-January.  

Great South chief executive Chami Abeysinghe says customers are still able to fly to Wellington via Christchurch, and the airline's adding more flights between Christchurch and Invercargill. 

She told Ryan Bridge there's multiple factors for the decision including softening domestic demand and engine issues. 

Abeysinghe says one of the key factors is ensuring accessible flights between the main centres. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

Air New Zealand's direct flight between Wellington and Invercargill will soon be no more.&nbsp;
It's being scrapped, with its last service in mid-January. &nbsp;
Great South chief executive Chami Abeysinghe says customers are still able to fly to Wellington via Christchurch, and the airline's adding more flights between Christchurch and Invercargill.&nbsp;
She told Ryan Bridge there's multiple factors for the decision including softening domestic demand and engine issues.&nbsp;
Abeysinghe says one of the key factors is ensuring accessible flights between the main centres.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

A fresh and intelligent start to your day - catch the very latest international and domestic news developments, sport, entertainment and business on Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, on Newstalk ZB.

A fresh and intelligent start to your day - catch the very latest international and domestic news developments, sport, entertainment and business on Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, on Newstalk ZB.

Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

Chami Abeysinghe: Great South CEO on the removal of the direct flight between Wellington and Invercargill

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/f2cd1664-bf6f-41c8-af9e-b1fb015f3f9d/transcript

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 11 March.

Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 11 March. 
Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Full Show Podcast: 11 March 2026 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/aec4206c-ce7b-4a89-bfa8-b409011a8e6e/transcript

Movement in housing affordability could spell good news for first home buyers. 

Cotality NZ's Housing Affordability report for Quarter 4 2025 shows the national value-to-income ratio fell to 7.2. 

This is the lowest level since a brief period in 2019 and before that 2016

The Property Investors Federation's Matt Ball told Ryan Bridge it is still higher than the long-term national average of 6.8. 

He says the decrease is great for young people - but it would be better for it to come down even more. 

Movement in housing affordability could spell good news for first home buyers.&nbsp;
Cotality NZ's Housing Affordability report for Quarter 4 2025 shows the national value-to-income ratio fell to 7.2.&nbsp;
This is the lowest level since a brief period in 2019 and before that 2016
The Property Investors Federation's Matt Ball told Ryan Bridge it is still higher than the long-term national average of 6.8.&nbsp;
He says the decrease is great for young people - but it would be better for it to come down even more.&nbsp;

Matt Ball: Property Investors Federation Advocacy Manager on house prices the most affordable they've been in a decade, outside of Covid

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/8a864fa9-5d2a-4cee-9f1b-b409011b4a29/transcript

You've got the feel a bit for the Air New Zealand boss. 

If ever there was a poisoned chalice, he's drinking from it. He's glugging it back. Drowning in it.

They've suspended their guidance after the gas price went nuts. Doubled on Iran. 

That's after announcing a loss of $60 million for the half year.

And now they're hiking prices - up to $90 on international fares - and, reportedly, looking at cutting some routes. 

On top of all that you've got David Seymour barking loudly about selling half of you off. 

His problems are financial, but the implications are very political. As they always are for the boss of our national carrier. 

It's up there with the PM and Rennie's job at NZR in terms of profile and criticism. 

But when the going gets tough, you've got to front. 

If an NZX update of the kind we saw yesterday was put out by the CEO of a company not half owned by voters, then you'd get away with no public interviews. 

But that is not the case for Air NZ. 

I spoke to Greg Foran the other day - another Air NZ boss who timed his landing into the job terribly (COVID) - and thanked him for always fronting to the public when the going got tough. 

Over the years, he made himself very available. Didn't really matter whether the news was good or bad. There was plenty of bad, engine issues, prices, Covid travel refunds etc. 

Which begs the question, as the airline faces new headwinds, where in the world is Nikhil Ravishankar?

You've got the feel a bit for the Air New Zealand boss.&nbsp;
If ever there was a poisoned chalice, he's drinking from it. He's glugging it back. Drowning in it.
They've suspended their guidance after the gas price went nuts. Doubled on Iran.&nbsp;
That's after announcing a loss of $60 million for the half year.
And now they're hiking prices - up to $90 on international fares - and, reportedly, looking at cutting some routes.&nbsp;
On top of all that you've got David Seymour barking loudly about selling half of you off.&nbsp;
His problems are financial, but the implications are very political. As they always are for the boss of our national carrier.&nbsp;
It's up there with the PM and Rennie's job at NZR in terms of profile and criticism.&nbsp;
But when the going gets tough, you've got to front.&nbsp;
If an NZX update of the kind we saw yesterday was put out by the CEO of a company not half owned by voters, then you'd get away with no public interviews.&nbsp;
But that is not the case for Air NZ.&nbsp;
I spoke to Greg Foran the other day - another Air NZ boss who timed his landing into the job terribly (COVID) - and thanked him for always fronting to the public when the going got tough.&nbsp;
Over the years, he made himself very available. Didn't really matter whether the news was good or bad. There was plenty of bad, engine issues, prices, Covid travel refunds etc.&nbsp;
Which begs the question, as the airline faces new headwinds, where in the world is Nikhil Ravishankar?

Ryan Bridge: Where in the world is Nikhil Ravishankar?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/580ed4f3-20ce-415d-8d4f-b4090119de89/transcript

Chami Abeysinghe: Great South CEO on the removal of the direct flight between Wellington and Invercargill

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