The airport would review its security procedures, he said.
"Obviously we need to have a rethink and we need to sit down with our partners, Air Nelson, and determine what their requirements are and what we can reasonably do to further enhance the security,'' he told APNZ.
"The reality is a determined vandal is going to cut through fences or get over fences or disable just about anything, really.''
Mr Bootten said the airport's security measures were comparable to any other airport of a similar size in New Zealand.
"That's not to say that we don't need to look at ways that we can reasonably make further enhancements, and we will be most certainly doing that.''
The incident follows other airport break-ins over the last 18 months, including one in which people siphoned off aviation fuel from aero club aircraft.
Four people were arrested over that incident.
Mr Bootten said they were given a light sentence, and greater deterrents were needed.
Senior Sergeant Alasdair Macmillan of Kapiti police said the offenders had tried to force their way in to the Bombadier Q300`s rear emergency exit door between 8pm yesterday and 6am.
That activated a ditching dam - a 30cm long, nitrogen-inflated rubber buffer that keeps water out of the aircraft.
Mr Macmillan said the device frightened off the offenders, "who of course wouldn't be expecting this to inflate - they were just trying to get into the plane''.
Pilots, police and security staff had checked the plane and were confident it had not been otherwise tampered with, Mr Macmillan said.
"There's no rhyme nor reason to it. My supposition is they were just going to see if there was anything they could steal,'' he told APNZ.
"It may have been curiosity _ it's a stupid, idiotic, expensive prank or adventure that these people or person has attempted, and we'd certainly like to find who's responsible.''
Mr Macmillan said the offenders could have entered anywhere around the terminal, which is surrounded by a 2.44m security fence and covered by floodlighting overnight.
Police, Air Nelson and the Kapiti Coast Airport are investigating.
Air Nelson general manager Grant Kerr said the incident had disrupted the travel plans of 75 people.
Two flights - NZ8490 from Kapiti to Auckland, and NZ8491 from Auckland to Kapiti - were cancelled while the aircraft was inspected and cleared for flying.
Flights between Kapiti and Auckland began only in October.
"I'm sure the residents of Kapiti are as disappointed as I am that someone would do this so soon after the launch of this new route,'' Mr Kerr said.
The Civil Aviation Authority said the airport was not security regulated, which meant security services found at larger airports were not required.
Aircraft security was managed by airlines as part of the requirements to hold an operator certificate under the civil aviation rules.
