Airport plans for airfield

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 231, 16 February 1988, Page 1

Airport plans for airfield

The Ruapehu airfield might well become an airport yet.

Civil Aviation Department chiefs are currently working on a full set of specifications for the upgraded airfield. The objective is to bring it up to a standard so that a four-engine commuter jet can land there. The plan earmarked for Raetihi landings and takeoffs is a British Aerospace 146, a small jet carrying 100 passengers and currently in use by Ansett in Australia. The people behind the airport development scheme are Ohakune's Hamlet Resort owners. Spokesman Mr Harvey Bell told the Bulletin yesterday he expected the Civil Aviation report any day. This follows a full inspection by a team from Wellington a few weeks ago. Mr Bell, whose company is planning a $40 million

hotel and timeshare resort in Miro Street, says he wants to introduce charter flights bringing tourists direct from Auckland and even Australia to Ohakune. "We want to look at doing package charters where people pay one sum for a weekend or week of skiing including t r a v e 1 , accommodation and all

costs," he says. He has already approached a major airline about provision or charter aircraft and is awaiting a reply. It is not envisaged that the local airport would be a scheduled airport on major routes. But he intends approaching other potential users of the airfield to measure interest. Mr Bell believes the

1000m airstrip will need to be extended to 1500m and that the surface will have to be sealed or stabilised. "At this stage we're assessing the costs and talking with a lot of other people to see if it's feasible." Mr Bell says the current high standard of the Raetihi airfield is a credit to the owner, Mr Selwyn Ward, who maintains it at his own cost.