New Service Launches & Website Refresh for Originair
Joining Originair in October 2024 has been an exciting and challenging step in my career. Originair is a Nelson-owned airline that prides itself on fostering regional connections. As head of marketing, my role has been to uphold and amplify this ethos as we launched two new services and a redesigned website that has marked pivotal moments in the airline's journey.
Connecting Communities: New Routes to Westport and TaupĹŤ
The launch of the Wellington-to-Westport service on 3 January 2025, followed by the Wellington-to-TaupĹŤ service on 17 February 2025, was a whirlwind of regional outreach, collaboration, and celebration. Establishing partnerships with regional tourism agencies, local councils, businesses, and media outlets became the cornerstone of our strategy to spread the word about these new services.
Organizing inaugural flight events was a particularly memorable aspect of the launches. Working with local businesses, we created goody bags for passengers filled with unique products that showcased the best of each region—adding a touch of community pride to their journey. While focusing on these launches, we also had to balance business-as-usual (BAU) tasks for our other established sectors: Palmerston North, Hamilton, Wellington, and Nelson.
For me, the most rewarding part of these launches was seeing how well-received the services were by local communities. From Westport to Taupō, it was clear how vital these connections are—not just for convenience, but for fostering a sense of regional unity.
A New Digital Destination: Our Modernised Website
One of the most transformative projects I’ve overseen has been redesigning Originair’s website, launched on 17 March 2025. The old WordPress-based site, while familiar, had gone over a decade without updates. Its limitations in customization, functionality, and SEO optimization were holding us back in today’s competitive digital landscape.
The new website, created in collaboration with Takeflite—our booking system provider—is fully integrated, user-friendly, and capable of competing effectively in search engine rankings. We preserved the airline’s branding while modernizing the design to reflect its forward-thinking approach.
Key features include detailed destination pages, which are already driving organic traffic, and separate pages for unique selling points like the "10 Trip Tickets" product, making it easier for customers to find and share. Additionally, the new blog has become an active hub for sharing company announcements, big events, and press releases. This content strategy not only helps Originair promote significant milestones but also helps with visibility for getting flights as full as possible during peak times.
Looking Ahead
As I reflect on the past months, I am incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved. The launches and website redesign have strengthened Originair’s presence and deepened its connections with regional communities. But this is just the beginning—there are many more stories to tell and connections to foster as we continue to grow.
