A charter service BAE-146 Whisper Jet lands at Te
Anau-Manapouri Airport yesterday. The helicopter at right
took part in the welcome flyover. Photo by Tracey Roxburgh.
At 9.45am yesterday Te Anau had a taste of things to
come, when the first BAE-146 chartered Whisper Jet service
landed at Te Anau-Manapouri Airport.
Owned by Air National and operated by Vincent Aviation Ltd,
of Wellington, the jet, carrying 18 tourists, dotted down at
Te Anau to a water arch welcome, provided by the Te Anau and
Manapouri Volunteer Fire Brigades and a flyover by local
helicopters and planes.
A piper led the passengers in before they were welcomed by
Southland Mayor Frana Cardno, Te Anau-Manapouri Airport chief
executive Erik Barnes and airport manager Evan Pearce.
Mr Pearce told the Otago Daily Times yesterday was "an
extremely good day".
"It's wonderful for me, but it's even better for the whole
community.
"This is a big event for the size of airport, as not even
Napier, Wanaka, Timaru or Nelson have regular visits from a
jet this size.
"When you look at what we've done over the past 18 months to
bring the airport up to the standard needed, this is the
icing on the cake, to actually see the aircraft touching down
on our runway," Mr Pearce said.
The project began last July with the first step to get the
airport's designation changed to allow jet aircraft to land.
Once approval had been given by several submitters, the
airport had to fulfil Civil Aviation Authority requirements,
which included a widened runway strip area and an
approach-light system.
Mr Pearce said the airport was working with Tauck Tours, a
company focused on "wealthy US tourists".
The five-star escorted Tauck Tours New Zealand itinerary sees
tourists arrive in Auckland and take in Waiheke, Rotorua, the
Marlborough Sounds and Wellington before the exclusive
charter flight, which has been configured to carry 75 economy
passengers, or 48 business-class seats, to Te Anau.
After a Milford Sound cruise, the tourists are flown by jet
to Queenstown for two nights before going on to Christchurch
where the New Zealand tour ends.
The charter flight trips to Te Anau would run for the summer
season.
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