Te Anau Airport, Manapouri is located off the highway connecting the two Fiordland towns. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Proposals to help a struggling Fiordland airport take flight will be evaluated by a regional development agency in the coming weeks.

Bought by the Southland District Council in 2002, Te Anau Airport, Manapouri had historically run at an annual loss of about $300,000 and relied on the Fiordland Community Board and ratepayers to keep it afloat, the council said.

The local authority has teamed up with development agency Great South to try to find a solution for the asset it hopes to retain ownership of.

‘‘We’ve looked at everything from hangar home development, leasing the cafe space, reviewing lease arrangements, ensuring future resilience and now we are at the point of seeking private investment,’’ airport governance group chairwoman and district councillor Sarah Greaney said.

‘‘I’m pleased that we’ve got to the point where we can investigate what private enterprise can offer.’’

A six-week ‘‘request for proposals’’ period ended on Friday, but the council has not said how many were received during that time.

The authority is hoping it can reduce the financial burden on ratepayers, create revenue streams to support the airport and retain land and core infrastructure.

Lease and commercial arrangements could last up to 49 years, the authority said.

Proposals would be short-listed by July 31 ahead of negotiations and approvals by October 31.

Located 15 minutes south of Te Anau, the airport was sold to the council by Air New Zealand for $401,000, through a tender process.

• LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.