Maori land claim could affect Paraparaumu Airport

Maori activists are threatening to demonstrate on the runway at Paraparaumu Airport, unless they are compensated for the land it is on.

Air New Zealand plans to fly from the airport to Auckland from 2009, which will see an upgrade of the site.

Te Whana a te Ngarara chairman Peter Love claims his group are descendants of the original land owners. He says he has been battling for compensation from the Government since it sold the site to a private company in 1995.

Mr Love says if the Crown fails to acknowledge his grievances, his group will protest on the tarmac.

- NEWSTALK ZB