Masterton air service planned

MASTERTON will have a new air service from next month, according to backers of a Paraparaumu-based commuter air service.
In the second major transport boost to the region in as many days ? the Government announced a $26 million rail carriage upgrade yesterday ? the air service will fly a continuous circular shuttle from Paraparaumu to Wellington, Blenheim, Masterton and Palmerston North from November.
The airline is proposing a basic one-off fare of $56 that includes all charges, but this could drop as low as $28 for a limited number of seats bought on a 20-trip ticket.
Murray Cole, chairman of Integra Investments, which is behind the new service, said the idea of the link made sense because of New Zealand's network of small airports and busy roads.
"We have probably got more (airports) per head of population than anywhere else in the world because of a wonderful Ministry of Works in the 1940s. Then every little town wanted its own airport.
"Now they are under-utilised and yet we have problems with the roads being clogged up."
The first flight of the day will leave Paraparaumu at 6.40am and go to Wellington, Blenheim, back to Paraparaumu, Palmerston North, Masterton and back to Paraparaumu.
The last flight returns to Paraparaumu from Wellington at 7.05pm.
Flights are also timed to connect with international departures from Wellington and Palmerston North airports, and ferry crossings.
Mr Cole said they had spent nine months developing the timetable ? aimed at capturing the maximum number of customers, including commuters, day shoppers and travellers, as well as having a weekend schedule.
So far, Integra Investments has invested about $4 million on upgrading Paraparaumu Airport's facilities and on an aircraft, a prop jet Cessna C208B Grand Caravan carrying nine passengers initially.
Mr Cole's company bought Paraparaumu Airport for $1.6 million in 1995.
The Auditor-General is now investigating the sale after a Transport select committee finding that the sale process was seriously flawed and had not protected the interests of the former Te Whanau a Te Ngarara owners.
But Mr Cole said he had no concerns over the future of the airport.
The airline, needing three seats a flight to break even, begins flights on November 19, but will start taking internet bookings next week.
The region's history has been littered with failed attempts to keep a regular air service in Wairarapa.
Most recently Masterton surgeon Guy Hingston was forced to pull the pin on his fledgling Air Wairarapa after Air New Zealand cut domestic fares to the bone in 2002.
The airline's nine-seater Piper Chieftain flew a regular Masterton to Auckland loop, clocked up its 101st paying customer within its first three weeks and later extended its services to include Paraparaumu but was unable to complete against the rock bottom Air New Zealand prices.
Mr Hingston, a plastic surgeon and trained pilot started the airline to replace Wairarapa Airlines, which folded in 1997 after struggling to stay viable for 16 years.