Hunt for airline to replace Freedom Air
A report in NZ’s the Manawatu says that Palmerston North’s Freedom Air services have gone because Air New Zealand is trying to block increased financial competition at other airports with the introduction of Pacific Blue.
That’s the view of Palmerston North Airport Company director Gordon Cruden, who said he was disappointed Palmerston North’s trans-Tasman flights would stop on March 31.
“(Their) . . . decision disappoints me because Air New Zealand is government owned, but prefers to further increase its sharply growing profits at the cost of wider public interest,” he said.
Palmerston North now had to work hard to secure another airline to take up and build on the existing, well-developed central market.
Palmerston North Airport manager Garry Goodman was now in Australia talking to other airlines.
Mr Cruden said these discussions had been happening for some time to supplement the existing Freedom Air arrangements.
“Now we can tell them that they can pick up where Air New Zealand has left off.
Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
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