Air Access
Arriving Atiu aboard a SAAB 300
Passenger access to Atiu is almost solely by air. Air Rarotonga
is the only airline. There is only one shipping company that provides
berths but not reliable schedules. Sailings are frequently delayed by
weeks. Phoning the shipping agent will most often give you the response
'We are sailing tomorrow'. Tomorrow unfortunately takes weeks to come.
However if you have time on your hands try the local shipping company
Taio Shipping, Ph 24905.
This leaves access by Air Rarotonga, the only airline servicing our island. The return airfare 1/1/2007 is $266 New Zealand. Air Rarotonga has a pricing structure that reduces the price for early purchasers. These prices can be seen and bookings made on their website www.airrarotonga.com.
Air Rarotonga flies a Bandeirante 18 seat or a SAAB300 32 seat aircraft from Rarotonga to Atiu daily except Wednesday and Sunday. Occassionally, there are flights on Friday. There are also flights to and from Aitutaki on Wednesday.
The following is the airline's regular schedule at 1/4/2015
This schedule has been reduced from the previous 8 flights per week due to the economic times and demand. As demand increases expect extra fights on Tuesdays and Fridays. So it pays to check the Air Rarotonga website to make sure what flights are on offer.
Barging cargo ashore from the MV Miss Mataroa
The Bandeirante turboprop aircraft
Weekly Flight Schedule
| Day | Flight | Departs | Arrives Atiu | Flight | Departs Atiu | Arrives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | GZ1627 | Aitutaki 10:10 | 11:00 | GZ1633 | 11:20 | Rarotonga 12:05 |
| Monday | GZ634 | Rarotonga 11:00 | 11:45 | GZ635 | 12:05 | Rarotonga 12:50 |
| Wednesday | GZ1627 | Aitutaki 10:10 | 11:00 | GZ1633 | 11:20 | Rarotonga 12:05 |
| Thursday | GZ634 | Rarotonga 11:00 | 11:45 | GZ635 | 12:05 | Rarotonga 12:50 |
| Friday | GZ1627 | Aitutaki 10:10 | 11:00 | GZ1633 | 11:20 | Rarotonga 12:05 |
| Saturday | GZ634 | Rarotonga 11:00 | 11:45 | GZ635 | 12:05 | Rarotonga 12:50 |
Contact Air Rarotonga for bookings at Ph 22888 Fax 23288 bookings@airraro.co.ck or consult their website http://www.airraro.co.ck/