Dunedin aurora flights unlikely

FLIGHTS to the aurora australis on the edge of the Antarctic are unlikely to be run from Dunedin again in the foreseeable future, organisers say.

Otago Museum director and former Nasa Space Telescope Science Institute public outreach head Ian Griffin coordinated the southern hemisphere’s first aurora charter from Dunedin on a Boeing 767 in March 2017.

The flight lasted about eight hours and passengers enjoyed memorable views of the southern lights.

Unfortunately, Air New Zealand retired its last 767 soon after the flight.

At present, he said no aircraft in its fleet was capable of reaching the auroral zone from Dunedin Airport because the runway was too short and not strong enough to safely support the weight of the heavier aircraft required to reach the auroral zone.

So last year, the flight took place on a larger Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which flew in and out of Christchurch.

It was hoped the flight could be run from Dunedin again this year, using a new Air New Zealand Airbus A321neo — a longishrange aircraft which is small enough to land at Dunedin Airport.

But following more indepth research, Dr Griffin found the new plane did not have the capability to make the longhaul flight a reality.

‘‘Unfortunately, it just can’t do what we need it to do.

‘‘Even though it could potentially fly out from Dunedin, it just doesn’t have the range that is needed to do an aurora flight.’’

He said it was unlikely flights to the aurora would fly from Dunedin again.

‘‘A key thing would be to have an aircraft that could fly a mission from Dunedin.

‘‘We would love to do it, but to get a Boeing 767 here would be very expensive now because nobody flies them in this part of the world.

‘‘The Dreamliner can’t land here in Dunedin, and neither can a Boeing 777.

‘‘So Dunedin would need to extend its runway, but that would be outrageously expensive and you wouldn’t do it just for this project.

‘‘Until we get some nextgeneration aircraft that can land on Dunedin’s runway and fly the flight, we’ll probably have to go from Christchurch.’’

PHOTO: BRAD PHIPPS Lights fantastic . . . The aurora australis viewed from ‘‘Flight to the Lights’’, in March 2017.