The historic Catalina flying boat may be shifting from its base at Ardmore Aerodrome.
Options include moving the plane to Hamilton or Auckland airport - and setting up a centre to rival the aviation museum at Wigram, Christchurch.
Other possible sites include Whenuapai Air Force base, and a large farm at Meremere.
A group of members from the 100-strong Catalina Club spent $80,000 buying a hangar that used to be at Christchurch International Airport.
Catalina Club operations manager Richard Moody said yesterday that the hangar was so large it could house other historic warbird aircraft as well.
The proposal to shift the Catalina from Ardmore follows a rent rise about 18 months ago.
The club was checking other airports to see which would give it the best rental deal.
"We are just trying all the various options. If Ardmore comes up with a very good deal, we would love to stay."
Mr Moody said other warbird operators had indicated they would want to go where the Catalina went.
The 4500 sq m hangar is as large as the building housing the Wigram Air Force Museum.
Mr Moody said Auckland Airport was interested, and Hamilton Airport was keen to see the Catalina settle there.
Catalinas were used by most of the Allied Air Forces in the Second World War for long-range maritime patrols, anti-submarine warfare, and search and rescue operations.
The Catalina Club's plane was built in 1944 and flew for the Royal Canadian Air Force.
It was converted for carrying passengers in the mid-1950s and flew for regional airlines in Canada until 1984.
It operated in Africa, and around the Atlantic before the club bought it in 1994.
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