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The resumption of domestic air travel is “a welcome step forward to recovery”, the QAC chief executive said.

On Saturday Queenstown along with the Southern Lakes region and the North Island were connected by air once more when Air New Zealand flight NZ1209 from Auckland touched down at Queenstown Airport at 2:13 pm.

Last Thursday, as New Zealand transitioned to alert level two, Queenstown Airport welcomed back its first domestic service from Christchurch after 43 days without a scheduled flight.

“We were thrilled to welcome domestic scheduled flights back to Queenstown Airport this week and the first flight from Auckland today,” Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) chief executive Colin Keel said.

Colin said while it has been a very challenging few months for everyone, given the significant impact of COVID-19 on the aviation and tourism sectors as well as the broader regional economy, the local airport community remains strong, committed and resilient.

“Bringing back domestic air travel to the area is a welcome step forward to recovery,” he said, adding it was heartening to hear from locals and domestic visitors that the alert level two health and safety protocols are working well.

Queenstown Airport is a member of the New Zealand Aviation Coalition and has been working with other airports, airlines and government departments to ensure there are consistent health and safety protocols and processes in place to facilitate domestic air travel across the country.

The airport is also part of a wider group working with the governments on both sides of the Tasman to reopen the border between New Zealand and Australia.

Air New Zealand’s head of tourism and regional affairs Reuben Levermore said it’s great to be flying into Queenstown again.

“We feel the pain that the tourism industry is going through at present, and the best thing we can do is to help get the country moving again. While we aren’t yet in a position to offer as many seats as we’d like, we will be building back our schedule in response to demand, and continuing to work alongside our partners in Queenstown and the wider region including Queenstown Airport, regional tourism organisations, and chambers of commerce to support winter tourism and the broader economic recovery.”

At alert level two access to the airport’s terminal building is restricted to ticketed travellers and airport staff. The airport’s international terminal remains closed until trans-Tasman flights resume.

PHOTO: The resumption of domestic air travel is “a welcome step forward to recovery”, the QAC chief executive said.

Queenstown’s Chamber of Commerce boss says Budget 2020 presents yet more confusion and uncertainty for businesses.

Anna Mickell is disappointed with the measures announced by Finance Minister Grant Robertson yesterday and says the Government “can’t simply turn its back” on the country’s second biggest sector.

The Budget includes an eight-week extension to the wage subsidy and the establishment of a $400 million tourism recovery fund, part of a $50 billion Covid-19 rebuild fund.

But there wasn’t any detail on direct support packages that businesses exposed to the international sector will need to survive until the borders can reopen.

This morning, Robertson told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking the details announced were only the start, and the Government would be working with industry on support packages and reforming the sector.

“My initial reaction is, has he not heard that what we’re looking for is clarity?” Mickell told the Queenstown App.

“Businesses cannot work without that.

“What he’s offering us is more confusion about what the future holds. We need a much clearer view.

“We would have really liked to have seen some support packages for businesses that are exposed to the international tourism sector.

“We need a way for those businesses to hibernate until the borders are properly reopened. We didn’t get that in any shape or form.”

Mickell says easy access to very low interest loans is the biggest need, and the Government’s $100k loan system hasn’t met that need.

Robertson this morning also hinted at a third extension to the wage subsidy. Businesses that have lost 50% of revenue can access the eightweek extension.

Mickell says the wage subsidy scheme effectively puts businesses in the “horrible position of having to administer social welfare support, because they know there’s nothing there at the end of eight weeks”.

“If the intent is to provide social welfare assistance, it should be equitable. It shouldn’t be down to the situation of the employer that one person gets it while another does not.

“Business has been so explicit about clarity and eight weeks for businesses in our neck of the woods is just more confusion.”

She says the extension might save a few jobs temporarily, but will likely not have a great impact on the decisions of many businesses, especially those who’ve already began downsizing or indicated they will.

Budget 2020

• $50bn fund to deliver COVID response and economic recovery plan at centre of jobs budget • $4bn business support package, including targeted $3.2bn wage subsidy extension • $3bn infrastructure investment and 8,000 public house build programme to boost productivity and create jobs • $1.6bn for trades and apprenticeships training package • $1bn environmental jobs package • $3.3bn new funding to strengthen core services including health and education

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