That was the question posed by Dunedin International Airport chief executive John McCall last night as he launched the Fly Dunedin campaign, aimed at persuading more people to choose to fly out of the city rather than out of Christchurch.
In the time it took to reach Rolleston on the drive to Christchurch, travellers from Dunedin could fly to Brisbane, he said.
"Where would you rather be?" Mr McCall asked the more than 100 guests at a launch held in the Dunedin Public Art Gallery.
People from Otago and Southland had become "complacent about the airport", with many choosing to fly out of Christchurch.
"The market hasn't shrunk - it has just gone to Christchurch. But we expect to turn that around," he said.
Central to the launch of the campaign was a new website, flydunedin.com, which enabled travellers to book flights directly with Air New Zealand and Pacific Blue - a first of its kind for a New Zealand airport, he said.
Airline competition on the transtasman route meant airfares were competitive from Dunedin and if the outbound market continued to grow so would the inbound market, resulting in more options for passengers.
"We see the airport as a vital piece of infrastructure and a key to unlocking the Otago and Southland economy."
The next stage of the campaign would be to promote the airport as the gateway to a "quality visitor destination".
Dunedin Mayor Peter Chin said it was "great the airport was using its initiative to develop its own business and fight for market share within the region".
"If we don't use the airport then we will lose it."
