Kawarau Jet was concerned Thunder Jet, as a second jet-boat operator on the river, would create a new hazard.
Kawarau Jet filed for a judicial review of the consenting process to determine if the operator should have been notified by the Queenstown Lakes District Council as an affected party before consent was granted.
The High Court at Christchurch yesterday set the hearing date for late February.
Thunder Jet, owned by Queenstown Water Taxis Ltd, started business on Sunday and had completed seven trips when the Otago Daily Times visited yesterday morning.
The venture was launched after Maritime NZ investigators were satisfied there were no safety issues arising from two companies operating jet-boats on the river.
Kawarau Jet acknowledged at a meeting yesterday Thunder Jet met the minimum radio protocols of the Maritime Transport Act.
However, director Andrew Brinsley said Kawarau Jet would be asking harbourmaster Marty Black for written confirmation the protocols met the requirements of Queenstown Lakes district waterways.
"We're being requested to change our operations to communicate on a public channel, which we don't believe is in the interests of our operation's safety," Mr Brinsley said.
Queenstown Water Taxis is co-directed by Neville Kelly and Andre Cockburn along with Ashburton-based exporter Duncan Storrier.
Mr Kelly and Mr Cockburn said they had 30 years and more than 25,000 hours of commercial jet-boating experience between them.
Mr Kelly said Thunder Jet ran three trips on Sunday, the first day of operation.
Their consent allows for four trips, or 76 clients, per day, and they ran four on the following Monday.
"A lot of Queenstowners were there to support us, glad to see another operation out there."
