Air Rarotonga
{{Short description|Airline based in Rarotonga, Cook Islands}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox airline
| airline = Air Rarotonga
| image =
| logo =
| logo_size =
| fleet_size = 6
| destinations = 9
| callsign = Rarotonga
| parent =
| founded = 1978
| ceased =
| aoc =
| num_employees =
| headquarters = Rarotonga, Cook Islands
| key_people = Ewan Smith
| hubs = Rarotonga International Airport
| secondary_hubs =
| focus_cities =
| frequent_flyer =
| lounge =
| alliance =
| website = {{URL|www.airraro.com/}}
}}
File:Air Rarotonga Embraer EMB 110 (E5-TAK) at Rarotonga Airport.jpg at Rarotonga International Airport (2012)]]
File:Air Rarotonga Saab.JPG on the tarmac at Rarotonga International Airport]]
Air Rarotonga is an airline based in Rarotonga, Cook Islands and is the flag carrier of the country, known by their slogan as ‘The Airline of the Cook Islands’. It operates inter-island and regional scheduled services throughout the Cook Islands and to Tahiti. It also operates chartered flights to French Polynesia, Niue, Samoa, Kiribati and Tonga.{{cite web|url=https://airraro.com/charters|title=Air Rarotonga – Air Charter|publisher=|accessdate=12 September 2020}} Its main base and hub is Rarotonga International Airport.Flight International 27 March 2007
History
The airline was established in February 1978 and started operations in July 1978 with a Cessna 337 aircraft. The company is owned by three private investors. More than 70,000 passengers travel between its island destinations each year.{{cite web |url=https://blog.ch-aviation.com/2013/12/04/ch-aviation-interview-ewan-smith-ceo-air-rarotonga/ |title=ch-aviation interview: Ewan Smith, CEO Air Rarotonga |publisher=ch-aviation.blog |date=4 December 2013 |accessdate=24 July 2020}}
Destinations
Following is a list of destinations Air Rarotonga flies to as part of its scheduled services, {{as of|2018|10|lc=y}}.{{cite web|title= Air Rarotonga Route Maps|url=https://airraro.com/our-islands|publisher= Air Rarotonga|accessdate= 12 September 2014}}
| class="wikitable" | |
| style="width:20pt; background:#98fb98; text-align:center;"| | Hub |
| class="sortable wikitable toccolours" | |||||
| style="background:blue;color: white"|City
!style="background:blue;color: white"|Country ! style="background:blue; color:white; width:50px;"|IATA ! style="background:blue; color:white; width:50px;"|ICAO !style="background:blue;color: white"|Airport !style="background:blue;color: white" class="unsortable"|Refs and Notes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aitutaki | {{COK}} | align=center|AIT | align=center|NCAI | Aitutaki Airport | align=center| |
| Atiu | {{COK}} | align=center|AIU | align=center|NCAT | Enua Airport | align=center| name="Route Maps"/> |
| Mangaia | {{COK}} | align=center|MGS | align=center|NCMG | Mangaia Airport | align=center| |
| Manihiki | {{COK}} | align=center|MHX | align="center" |NCMH | Manihiki Island Airport | align=center| |
| Mauke | {{COK}} | align=center|MUK | align=center|NCMK | Mauke Airport | align=center| |
| Mitiaro | {{COK}} | align=center|MOI | align=center|NCMR | Mitiaro Airport | align=center| |
| Penrhyn Island | {{COK}} | align=center|PYE | align=center|NCPY | Tongareva Airport | align=center| |
| Pukapuka | {{COK}} | align=center| PZK | align="center" |NCPK | Pukapuka Island Airport | align=center| |
| Tahiti | {{PYF}} | align=center| PPT | align="center" |NTAA | Faa'a International Airport | align=center| |
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Rarotonga | {{COK}} | align=center|RAR | align=center|NCRG | style="background:#98fb98;"|Rarotonga International Airport | align=center| |
Since August 2022 Air Rarotonga operates international flights to Tahiti using their own aircraft.
Previously, the airline codeshared with Air Tahiti on flights between Rarotonga and Tahiti. Air Rarotonga also code shares with Air New Zealand for flights between Rarotonga and Aitutaki with Air Rarotonga being the operator.
The airline also offers scenic flights over Rarotonga and air charter services to neighbouring Pacific Island countries including Tahiti, Niue, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and Kiribati.
The airline also operates air ambulance evacuations from all island airports in the Cook Islands and on to Auckland when required.{{cite web|url=https://airraro.com/air-ambulance/|title=Air Rarotonga – Air Ambulance – Medical evacuation|publisher=|accessdate=26 February 2020}}
Fleet
As of October 2019 the Air Rarotonga fleet includes the following aircraft:{{cite web|url=https://airraro.com/fleet|title=Air Rarotonga – Fleet|publisher=|accessdate=21 May 2020}}
| class="toccolours" border="1" cellpadding="3" style="border-collapse:collapse"
|+Air Rarotonga Fleet |
| style="background:lightblue;"
!Aircraft !Total !Orders !Passengers |
| Saab 340B+
| style="text-align:center;"|2 | style="text-align:center;"|0 | style="text-align:center;"|34 |
| Embraer EMB-110P1 Bandeirante
| style="text-align:center;"|2 | style="text-align:center;"|0 | style="text-align:center;"|15 |
| Cessna Citation II
| style="text-align:center;"|1 | style="text-align:center;"|0 | style="text-align:center;"|8 |
| Cessna 172
| style="text-align:center;"|1 | style="text-align:center;"|0 | style="text-align:center;"|3 |
| Total
!6 !0 ! |
In February 2016, the airline added its first Jet to their fleet.{{cite web|url=https://pacificprivatejet.com|title=Pacific Private Jet|publisher=|accessdate=26 June 2022}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- {{Official website|https://airraro.com/}}
{{Portal bar|Oceania|Aviation}}
Category:Airlines of the Cook Islands
Category:Airlines established in 1978