I had to go out to Hawke's Bay airport on Saturday afternoon and once again was pleased to see the terminal bustling with people.
There were reunions and farewells as travellers came and went to Auckland and Wellington. It is a busy time of the year and this is reflectedby the human traffic going through our airport.
But then again most times I go to the airport, either to travel or to meet someone, it is more often than not very busy. I have flown quite a few times from Hawke's Bay to Auckland and I can count on one hand the number of times the plane has not been full or near capacity.
This paper used to get many letters and texts from people complaining about how much it cost to fly to Auckland. They said it was time to end Air New Zealand's monopoly on the route and bring another carrier in. That has happened with Jetstar set to begin daily services from tomorrow. Already this has had an amazing effect with some very reasonable prices being offered by Air New Zealand.
The landscape of Hawke's Bay airport has certainly changed and we have gone from one airline offering regular schedule services to three, with a fourth a distinct possibility. Last month Picton-based Sounds Air started a Hawke's Bay and Marlborough service to capitalise on the strong connection the two wine regions have.
We reported on Saturday that Kiwi Regional Airlines is considering starting a Napier-Nelson-Dunedin service from February. A final decision could be made as soon as next week and Tauranga is also in the running to get the service. The airline is looking for options after withdrawing from a Hamilton-Queenstown service.
All this is good news for all of us and the region as a whole. With more services and flights, the airport can expand and grow. This in turn will grow our economy and our tourism.
