The Interislander ferry Kaitaki will resume taking passengers from Saturday, March 4.
Interislander executive general manager Walter Rushbrook says since Kaitaki lost power on January 28, the Interislander team has undertaken several assurance processes to confirm that the ferries are safe to sail.
“We have also had a number of independent checks undertaken. The maritime industry is highly regulated, so it is not our decision alone to sail the ships.
“We have had the all-clear from surveyors from our Class Authority, our team has been through all our ferries checking parts and systems, and we have worked closely with the regulatory authority, Maritime New Zealand.
“We would not be sailing the ship unless we were confident it was safe to do so.
“Safety is our absolute priority, and we are pleased to have Kaitaki back in full service and rejoining the passenger fleet tomorrow.
“The past few weeks have been rough for our customers, for our passengers and for our own people who have been working above and beyond to get as many people and as much freight as possible across Cook Strait.
“Our two new rail-enabled ferries coming in 2025 and 2026 will be game changers in terms of reliability, carbon efficiency, comfort and on-board passenger services.
“Until they arrive, we will remain focused on providing a safe, reliable service that earns the respect of customers and passengers,” says Walter.
