Going into regions no-brainer: Jetstar boss

Jetstar head of New Zealand services Grant Kerr said choosing Hawke's Bay as one of four regional destinations for Jetstar was a "no brainer". Photo / Paul Taylor

Passenger numbers have increased 17 per cent at Hawke's Bay Airport since Jetstar's September announcement it would fly to the region from Auckland.

"The terminal is spewing people out the front and aircraft on the tarmac - it's a great problem to have," Jetstar head of New Zealand services Grant Kerr said.

Choosing Hawke's Bay as one of four regional destinations for the Qantas-owned budget carrier was a "no brainer", Mr Kerr said at business incubator The Icehouse's end-of-year-lunch at Black Barn Vineyards, Havelock North, yesterday.

Hawke's Bay was a popular destination, businesses wanted to travel more and the business community was supportive of Jetstar.

From the day Jetstar announced it would travel to the regions the response was "overwhelming" and its maiden-flight welcome to Hawke's Bay "absolutely amazing".

He said increased flights would encourage more people and businesses to relocate to the region, due to the strengthened transport infrastructure.

Lower-cost and frequent flights would grow the market and businesses having the choice to reduce their travel budget or travel more often.

Its schedule was tailored to business travellers, with morning and afternoon flights, but leisure travellers were also taking advantage - yesterday a father and son flew to Auckland to visit the zoo for the day, he said. Its flights would grow the market.

Airport CEO Nick Story told Hawke's Bay Today passenger numbers at the airport increased 4.3 per cent for the year to June.

More travellers, due to Jetstar and Air New Zealand's competitive response, was "the cream on the top".

Mr Story said the airport carpark came close to being full "from time to time" but capacity would soon increase because of the repositioning of a car rental firm and carpark recon-figuration.

Work on a new terminal would begin by the middle of 2016 "at the very latest", with the final design yet to be confirmed.

It was planned to be complete for an expected influx for the national kapa haka competition at the end of February 2017.

Mr Story said the number of new travellers since the arrival of Jetstar was noticeable and the amount of travel by existing flyers had increased.

"Jetstar are not coming to Napier to eat Air New Zealand's lunch," he said.