First Ever Winery Airlines Launches in New Zealand

Invivo Air flew above New Zealand last week with a few wines aboard. For the inaugural flight, the Saab 340 registered ZK-CIZ was given the name "Cloud Wine".

The overnight flight to Central Otago was chartered by the winery, as previously reported on Simple Flying. It was flown by Air Chathams, a kiwi carrier. ZK-CIZ, a Saab 340 almost 30 years old, took 30 guests on a curated trip to Queenstown to taste the finest wine and food. This was the itinerary for the overnight trip:

• 3C942: This flight departs on January 31st from Auckland International Airport, (AKL), at 12:12 and arrives at Queenstown International Airport, (ZQN), at 14:40
• 3C 941, departure from Queenstown International Airport ZQN at 10:54 and arrival at Auckland International Airport AKL at 13:50

The Saab was appropriately named "Cloud Wine" for the trip. It wore the costume during flight, drawing inspiration from local vineyards as well as an al fresco aesthetic. Hanging vines were used to decorate the plane's interior.

All travelers were welcomed with a welcome package upon arrival. This included a 'Cloud Wine magazine, sunhats, sunscreen, snacks, and a logo indicating that they are 'business class in all glasses'. The wine was also included.

Wine tasting began after the aircraft took off. Rob Cameron and Tim Lightbourne, co-founders of Invivo, led the way. A selection of eight different wines were available, and the passengers were able to taste them all.

After arriving in Central Otago as wine connoisseurs, they made their way to Legend's Terrace where they enjoyed more tastings and delicious food. All passengers were able to taste 16 wines over the course of the 24-hour journey.

The evening was completed with dinner at Botswana Butchery and accommodation at the Hilton Queenstown Resort and Spa. On the next day, guests were treated to a breakfast buffet and possibly a 'hair-of-the dog' before they headed to Queenstown Airport for their return flight to Auckland.

Following the launch of Invivo Air, Tim Lightbourne, co-founder of Invivo Air, released these statements:

"We were thrilled to welcome our guests on board Invivo Air. As a Kiwi company, we loved showcasing some of our stunning wine regions, vistas, gastronomy and of course wine to our passengers.

"We've had such positive feedback from our guests, we're planning our next experience - we'd love to run an international flight for our next trip!"

Invivo Air has already begun planning for the next flight after the airline's successful launch. No further details were provided.

Source: simpleflying.com