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Following this morning's mid-air stabbing of two pilots, Minister for Transport Safety Harry Duynhoven said today that any air security risks had to be balanced with costs to passengers.
"This is the first incident we have had of this sort and obviously we will wait for the report,"
Mr Duynhoven said.
Mr Duynhoven has previously said that he is happy with the current policy of not scanning passenger hand luggage on shorthaul flights.
"Internationally, we have a similar regime to many other countries - the US, the UK, all sorts of countries, where passengers are not screened going on to small aircraft,"Mr Duynhoven said.
In January last year, Sikh priests boarded a small plane in Auckland carrying ceremonial daggers, called kirpans.
The priests handed the daggers to the pilot after passengers became concerned.
At the time Mr Duynhoven said there were no plans to change security procedures.
Policy for screening passengers applies only to aircraft with more than 90 seats. Mr Duynhoven said in January last year that he was "very happy" with that, given the safety risks compared to passenger convenience.
Mr Duynhoven, who was at the Christchurch airport this morning, said there was a report into the 2007 incident.
"The report satisfied us at the time as to the risks involved," Mr Duynhoven said this morning.
Air New Zealand general manager short haul airline Bruce Parton said the airline will be reviewing its safety procedures.
"Today's incident, although a one-off, has naturally given us cause to conduct a thorough review of our safety and security systems and processes on regional domestic flights.
"As part of this review we will be working closely with the relevant authorities, such as the CAA and Avsec," Mr Parton says.
Police and Transport Minister Annette King has asked the police and the Aviation Security Service to provide her and Mr Duynhoven, with urgent reports on this morning's incident.
Marlborough District Council support services manager Dean Heiford said in all domestic airports across New Zealand, the size of the aircraft and length of the flight dictated the security measures in place.
None of the airlines at Blenheim Airport require hand luggage to be scanned.
Mr Heiford said security measures were dictated by the Civil Aviation Authority and the airlines, not airport management.
Video: Philippa Green's eyewitness account