Kāpiti Coast mayoral candidate Gwynn Compton says current Mayor Gurunathan has gotten it badly wrong in telling Air New Zealand he wouldn’t welcome them back into Kāpiti, and the district’s mayor should be encouraging our national carrier to add new connections that complement the services already provided by Air Chathams.

“The short-sighted comments made by Mayor Gurunathan were petty and completely unnecessary, and they betray a lack of vision and ambition for Kāpiti from him,” says Mr Compton.

“Nobody is suggesting we roll out the red carpet for Air New Zealand after their sudden ditching of Kāpiti last year, but if they wanted to return to Paraparaumu and add new routes to new destinations, or services that complement the great job Air Chathams are doing, then we should be open to them doing so.”

Gwynn Compton also says that Air New Zealand returning to Kāpiti would be good for the district’s economy.

“Having more airlines providing more services to more destinations can only be a good thing for both Kāpiti’s overall economy as well as the long-term viability of Paraparaumu Airport,” says Mr Compton.

“Air Chathams have been doing a fantastic job since filling the gap left by Air New Zealand’s departure, but there are clear benefits from Air New Zealand returning to Kāpiti and the access to its wider travel network that would provide. If Kāpiti’s tourism, creative, food and beverage, and ICT industries are to reach their full potential, they need easy connections to more customers around the country and Air New Zealand’s return would help provide that.”

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