It ran into turbulence before it got off the ground eight years ago, but talk of a cargo hub and Ohakea as the next international airport has surfaced again.
Those in support of Ohakea as a cargo hub and international airport say it has a pavement classification number (PCN) 5 rating which means jumbo aircraft can land, it has all-year ideal weather conditions and is central to the North Island.
PCN is the actual load-carrying capacity of an airport runway, taxiway or ramp. The Ohakea runway, which was rebuilt 10 years ago and dug down 3/4 metres, has a PCN 5 rating. Palmerston North has a PCN 3 rating.
The Wanganui Chronicle approached Bulls man Graeme Platt, who was on the subcommittee of the then Rangitikei Regional Council with the late Bruce Beetham. Mr Platt said a vast amount of money, time and study was put into that first committee.
Rangitikei District Bulls Ward councillor Michelle Fox says the Ohakea airport would open up the Taranaki, Whanganui, Waimarino, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu and Wellington regions, and we could become the fresh food capital of the world.