Cook Islands to underwrite flights

File photo / Peter Meecham

The Cook Islands Cabinet has agreed to underwrite Air New Zealand and Air Pacific flights from next year.

The money would help to fund direct Air NZ flights between the islands and Los Angeles and Sydney, and the new Air Pacific Fiji-Rarotonga route, Radio Australia reported yesterday.

It would also help to market the Cook Islands in Australia and the Northern Hemisphere. Last week, the Cabinet approved new three-year contracts for the airlines to provide the routes. The contracts are due to be signed this week.

Two years ago, the Cook Islands Government said it was looking at paying up to $5 million a year to support the direct weekly Air NZ flights to Los Angeles from Rarotonga.

- NZPA