Inaugural Gold Coast to Dunedin flight welcomed
The first passenger off the inaugural flight from the Gold Coast was left stunned when she was greeted at Dunedin Airport by a media scrum and raucous applause.
The first of Jetstar's direct flights bound for Gold Coast Airport in Coolangatta, Queensland, took off yesterday afternoon, after an almost-full flight from Australia landed at the Dunedin Airport.
It touched down about 2.30pm, 15 minutes ahead of schedule.
A crowd of family, friends, airport staff, ministers, mayors, media and Taieri College's kapa haka team waited at the airport's international arrivals gate.
First to exit the doors was Glenda Paterson, of Dunedin, who was greeted by a collection of television cameras, shouts and applause from the assembled crowd.
The kapa haka team burst into action as the Tourism Minister Louise Upston rushed up to Ms Paterson.
"I didn't realise I was the first one through ... It was definitely a surprise, I was not expecting cameras and all this," she said.
"Thanks for that, everyone."
Ms Paterson was in Brisbane for a holiday and booked the flight so she would not have to go through Auckland.
The McInnes family — father Reid and his three sons Harry, 17, Charlie, 15, and Kasey, 8, — did not realise they had booked the inaugural flight.
Mr McInnes, of Queensland, told his sons after he realised they had booked it that "this is going to be a bit of a different landing".
The family is in Dunedin to visit Mr McInnes' parents, Don and Pam McInnes.
The Dunedin to Gold Coast flight has a flight time of about three and a-half hours, and the service will operate Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, using Jetstar's Airbus A320ceo and A320neo aircraft.
Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich said return of direct flights was the result of a lot of hard work by Dunedin City Council staff.
Ms Upston said she was very "cleanly, bluntly, plainly interested and committed" to delivering more visitors to New Zealand.
"We have an amazing country, we have amazing places, we have amazing people and amazing experiences and I just want to share that with more visitors.
"For every person that's come off that plane today, it's a wonderful experience for them here and it's a boost for our local economies as well as our national economy."
Jetstar New Zealand chief executive Shelley Musk said the new route was a key part of their biggest expansion in New Zealand in more than a decade, and the company was excited to be delivering more opportunities to travel for less.
"We know the Gold Coast is a firm favourite for Southerners and it's a great destination for you to enjoy as well as the beaches and the world-class entertainment.
"We also know that our Australian friends will really love getting an insight into what Dunedin and the greater Otago region has to offer."
laine.priestley@odt.co.nz
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