A new start for Far North

FINAL PASSENGER: Debbie Battcher, whose journey from Melbourne to home at Lake Ngatu was almost over, about to be interviewed by TVNZ after Air New Zealand's final flight to Kaitaia landed on Tuesday.

The small ceremony staged at Kaitaia airport on Tuesday morning to mark the arrival and departure of Air New Zealand's final flight from and to Auckland was about more than the end of one service and the beginning of another according to Mayor John Carter.

"We might be talking about a different airline [Great Barrier], but the service we will have now will be synchronised to work better for Kaitaia and the whole country," he said.

And he was expecting more improvements in the future. Local Government New Zealand had asked him to lead a study into the impact of air services, the contribution they made to the economy and how they related to wider transportation issues.

"This has never been done before," he said, "and if we find a gap it will give us something of substance to discuss with the government. "This is a great day, a big step forward for our infrastructure, not just for the Far North but beyond."

Mr Carter thanked Air New Zealand for the service it had provided to Kaitaia and the Far North over the years.

"We are grateful for that support," he said. "And we welcome Great Barrier Airlines, and thank them for offering a new service that will be much more convenient for the people of Kaitaia and the Far North. It is important that we support that service to make sure it is viable and permanent."

Great Barrier, which began its scheduled service between Auckland and Kaitaia yesterday morning, will use a leased Cessna Caravan until a plane it has purchased arrives from Australia.

Tuesday's ceremony at the airport was organised and hosted by Far North Holdings, which had negotiated the service by Great Barrier Airlines after four bidders expressed interest in succeeding Air New Zealand.