International flights wanted
Palmerston North travel agent Steve Parsons is urging the city council to again try to get international airlines to fly directly to the region’s airport.
Parsons said the recent unbundling of Virgin’s transtasman ties with Air New Zealand suggested the time was right to start negotiating.
The last international flight out of Palmerston North was when Freedom Air pulled out of the city in March 2008.
Mayor Grant Smith supported calls for the airport to regain international status when he campaigned for election in 2015.
But the airport company has repeatedly said putting efforts into trying to attract reluctant international airlines was not on its radar.
It has extended the domestic terminal facilities, baggage claim carousels and regional lounge into the part of the building previously used for international arrivals and departures.
Chief executive David Lanham, asked whether Parsons’ pitch and suggestions of a change in the industry meant it was worth another try, simply answered ‘‘no’’.
Parsons was a member of the original group that secured the Freedom trans-tasman flights, and said he was disappointed they did not continue.
‘‘Let’s pursue Virgin, which is adding new aircraft to their fleet capable of landing and taking off from Palmerston North.’’
He said many of the more than 1 million people living within a couple of hours’ drive of the airport would welcome the chance to fly directly to overseas locations.
The current airline and airport emphasis on getting international travellers to Auckland as their gateway to the world made their journeys difficult.
‘‘Just consider the fog problems over three days last week that impacted on the turboprop aircraft ability to move our international connecting passengers via Auckland.’’
Parsons said the alternative of flying out of Wellington meant people needed to start driving from Palmerston North about 3am to make connections, or stay in Wellington overnight.
Smith said having to travel through Auckland typically added an extra day to people’s travel plans.
He said Christchurch had increased its international connections, with support from other South Island regions, and Palmerston North could pull in a similar volume of travellers.
The council’s economic development committee received Parsons’ comments without recommendations to do anything.