Guests included Whakat\u0101ne\u2019s mayor-elect N\u00e1ndor T\u00e1nczos, mana whenua and airline representatives.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a new chapter for domestic aviation,\u201d said Mike Williams, Air New Zealand\u2019s chief transformation and alliances officer.<\/p>\n
He said the two airlines had been working on the partnership for about five years.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a long engagement,\u201d Associate Minister of Transport James Meager said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m glad you finally tied the knot.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meager flew from Timaru to Wellington to Tauranga to Whakat\u0101ne for the event.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat symbolises a little but about why we\u2019re here today,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He said the Government would support regional connectivity where possible but today\u2019s event was largely due to the work the two airlines had done on their own initiative.<\/p>\n
Air Chathams chief executive Duane Emery thanked Air New Zealand for \u201cdoing the right thing\u201d. <\/p>\n
He said the Whakat\u0101ne-Auckland route was once Air Chathams\u2019 best-performing North Island route, and it could be successful again.<\/p>\n
T\u00e1nczos said the deal would strengthen tourism, business travel and freight connections.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s great to witness this formal commitment to enhanced connectivity for the eastern Bay.\u201d<\/p>\n
Air New Zealand\u2019s incoming chief executive, Nikhil Ravishankar, welcomed the partnership. <\/p>\n
\u201cFor example, someone travelling from Whakat\u0101ne to Kerikeri can now book a single journey, connecting on to an Air New Zealand service,\u201d Ravishankar said today.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy working together, we\u2019re making it easier for customers in more parts of the country to stay connected.\u201d<\/p>\n
Air Chathams chief executive Duane Emeny said the partnership would deliver more choice and reach for regional customers and provide a platform to promote Whakat\u0101ne.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis partnership is an important first step and we see real potential to build on it with further regional connections in the future and continue to help unlock opportunities for growth, employment and mobility across the country,\u201d Emeny said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese connections are vital for local economies, by ensuring access to tourism, business, education and healthcare,\u201d Meager said.<\/p>\n
Air New Zealand’s next chief executive Nikhil Ravishankar said someone travelling from Whakat\u0101ne to Kerikeri could now book a single journey.<\/p>\n
Some regional airlines have been under pressure lately.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, Air Chathams indicated it might have to discontinue its Whakat\u0101ne route.<\/p>\n
Last month, Meager and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones announced concessionary loans of up to $30 million<\/a> from the Regional Infrastructure Fund for small airlines.<\/p>\n And under the new Aviation Action Plan<\/a>, the Government has been urged to support vulnerable regional routes by using the regional infrastructure fund to enable interlining arrangements between regional airlines, Air New Zealand and others.<\/p>\n Whakat\u0101ne District Council chief executive Steven Perdia said the council has long advocated for something similar to an interline arrangement.<\/p>\n \u201cThe partnership is great news for Whakat\u0101ne and the wider eastern Bay of Plenty and it\u2019s good to see Air New Zealand and Air Chathams work together in support of regional New Zealand,\u201d Perdia said.<\/p>\n Under the agreement, Air New Zealand will initially sell Air Chathams\u2019 Whakat\u0101ne-Auckland services as part of connecting journeys.<\/p>\n An example of that might be Whakat\u0101ne to Auckland to Queenstown, or Dunedin to Auckland to Whakat\u0101ne. <\/p>\n Air New Zealand said more regional connections will be considered at a later stage.<\/p>\n