The concession process was one of the most controversial issues in the approved Fiordland National Park Management Plan.
Capping the number of landings each year was one way the Department of Conservation (Doc) sought to mitigate adverse effects on users of the national park, particularly those relating to noise.
In 2006, the Queenstown Milford User group, which represented 33 aviation companies and organisations, opposed capping the number of landings.
The group sought 20-year concessions for business certainty and to make it easier to make use of Doc's offer of incentives for operators to invest in larger, quieter aircraft.
Doc initially proposed five-year concessions, and the parties reached a compromise with 10-year concessions - a five-year concession with a five-year right of renewal, subject to compliance with the conditions and any other information regarding environmental effects.
Expressions of interest were originally called for by July 16 last year, but following judicial proceedings from Brendan Thow, of Alpine Choppers Ltd (ACL), the High Court issued an interim order halting the process.
Mr Thow sought a review of a decision from Conservation Minister Chris Carter that a late expression of interest in the concession allocation process from ACL should be refused.
Mr Thow also sought an interim order to restrain Mr Carter from proceeding any further with the process until ACL's main claim was determined by the court.
In March this year, Justice Ronald Young issued a written decision which determined ACL should have been included in the process, despite not filing its expression of interest by the cut-off date. ACL would now enter the competitive process along with other operators.
However, Justice Young did not uphold ACL's challenge of the process, which he said was based on logical and established criteria.
Doc Southland Conservancy community relations supervisor Sarah Dowie said another part of the judge's comments recommended the department call only for applications, instead of expressions of interest and then applications.
Ms Dowie said the proceedings had been completed so the process had recommenced, and the department was now calling for applications for any regular user wishing to gain a 10-year concession.
There were 23 "packets" of landing rights, based on the total number of landings for the 2004-05 year.
Ms Dowie said 9496 yearly landings were being authorised through the allocation process.
