Aspiring mayors want to keep flights

FLIGHTS: What's next for flights from Masterton Airport?

Masterton mayoral candidates are calling for alternative service options for Masterton Airport. Blaming uneconomic operations and lack of demand, Air New Zealand announced last week that its service from Masterton Airport would cease from February 5.

The move was a devastating blow to Masterton and Carterton councils, which invested more than $1 million towards airport facilities at Hood Aerodrome. Incumbent mayor Garry Daniell said the council is in talks with other airline operators, as well as Air New Zealand, and was confident a solution would be found, which could include other destinations.

"These discussions are commercially sensitive at this stage and are being shared with other stakeholders," he said.

Mr Daniell said since the announcement council had received a steady stream of calls from disappointed patrons. "The most frequent concerns were the variety of fare costs levied on passengers balanced against the recently announced profit by Air New Zealand."

He said the council had been told that the high cost of maintaining a reducing Beechcraft fleet was the real issue.

Candidate Lyn Patterson said council needed to put pressure on the Ministers of State Owned Enterprises and Economic Development immediately to ensure the direct link to Auckland was retained.

"Air New Zealand is over 70 per cent Government owned, that gives this government a big say in the airline's overall priorities.

"This service can and should be re-instated. Commercial considerations are important, but rural communities like ours will not survive if our transport links are undermined by central government."

Mrs Patterson said Air New Zealand had worked with the council successfully and up until last week and the council was unaware of any issues around viability.

"I want a full explanation from Air New Zealand, backed up by their facts and figures to help determine a way forward, either with Air New Zealand or another partner," she said.

Gary Caffell said it was important to keep a dialogue going with Air New Zealand and said all possible options, such as new timetables need to be explored with them.

"I believe too that council should be proactive in organising meetings with other operators, advising them of the situation and encouraging them to provide an alternative service from Hood. "We must be mindful too of the need for the cost of tickets to at least be competitive with those in bigger centres like Wellington and Palmerston North," he said.

Several service users turned to Facebook to express their discontent. Craig Turvey said he had moved his business from Wellington to Masterton, partly due to the opportunity to fly direct to Auckland.

"Cost aside, the flights were often full or not available because they were booked out. Any lack of demand would be due to the sometimes $350 plus airfare or lack of promotion - which Air New Zealand wouldn't do because they couldn't manage the extra demand - go figure," Mr Turvey said.

Toby Mills said he had been used the service four or five times and that the plane was always full.

"Sometimes I had to go down to Wellington because I couldn't get a seat on it. Perhaps they could actually have run a bigger plane because there was certainly enough demand, then they could have made it a little bit more affordable as well," Mr Mills said.