Invercargill is positioning itself as a new transtasman gateway to Queenstown, with a start-up airline set to fly into the city from Brisbane and Sydney, sources have revealed.
The Invercargill City Council announced earlier this week it was negotiating with an Australian airline to provide transtasman flights.
City, airport and airline representatives met in Invercargill on Wednesday.
Cr Norman Elder, in his capacity as chairman of the council-owned Invercargill City Holdings, would not name the airline involved.
However, two airline industry sources have confirmed it is Pacific Wings, a start-up airline based in Australia.
The budget carrier is tipped to fly from Brisbane and Sydney to Invercargill once a week, with services likely to be increased to twice a week.
Souces said the transtasman flights to Invercargill would be considerably cheaper than to Queenstown.
The service could be offered as early as next year, subject to approval.
A Ministry of Transport spokeswoman confirmed the ministry had discussed with airline representatives the requirements for obtaining a New Zealand international air service licence.
Pacific Wings, which has its headquarters in Melbourne, did not return calls yesterday.
An application to the International Air Services Commission to launch a transtasman service was made in June.
Pacific Wings spokesman Geoffrey Bowmaker said at the time the airline was planning on launching services from Australian cities to "secondary" New Zealand cities.
Invercargill Airport chief executive Barry Bouton would not comment on the transtasman talks, but said if approval for flights from Invercargill was granted, the airport could complete a terminal upgrade within six months.
New Zealand Airports Association chief executive Kevin Ward, of Wellington, said it was a complex and expensive exercise for a regional airport to become an international airport.
Biosecurity, aviation security and customs would be required before transtasman flights could begin, he said.
The Queenstown Airport Corporation and Dunedin International Airport spokesmen said earlier this week they were not concerned by Invercargill's latest move to become an international airport.
Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt said the city's proximity to Queenstown, Fiordland, the Catlins and Stewart Island would be a major drawcard to international visitors.
hamish.mcneilly@odt.co.nz
Flight numbers
- 141,500 flights by Southlanders a year through Invercargill
Airport.
- Southlanders take 19,500 flights a year through Dunedin International Airport; 13,000 through Queenstown Airport.
- Southland businesses take 56,700 a year through Invercargill Airport; 5400 flights through Dunedin; 3400 through Queenstown.
- Australia the overseas destination of choice for Southlanders, accounting for 80% of overseas flights.
Source: Venture Southland