Guests included Whakatāne’s mayor-elect Nándor Tánczos, mana whenua and airline representatives.
“It’s a new chapter for domestic aviation,” said Mike Williams, Air New Zealand’s chief transformation and alliances officer.
He said the two airlines had been working on the partnership for about five years.
“That’s a long engagement,” Associate Minister of Transport James Meager said.
“I’m glad you finally tied the knot.”
Meager flew from Timaru to Wellington to Tauranga to Whakatāne for the event.
“That symbolises a little but about why we’re here today,” he said.
He said the Government would support regional connectivity where possible but today’s event was largely due to the work the two airlines had done on their own initiative.
Air Chathams chief executive Duane Emery thanked Air New Zealand for “doing the right thing”.
He said the Whakatāne-Auckland route was once Air Chathams’ best-performing North Island route, and it could be successful again.
Tánczos said the deal would strengthen tourism, business travel and freight connections.
“It’s great to witness this formal commitment to enhanced connectivity for the eastern Bay.”
Air New Zealand’s incoming chief executive, Nikhil Ravishankar, welcomed the partnership.
“For example, someone travelling from Whakatāne to Kerikeri can now book a single journey, connecting on to an Air New Zealand service,” Ravishankar said today.
“By working together, we’re making it easier for customers in more parts of the country to stay connected.”
Air Chathams chief executive Duane Emeny said the partnership would deliver more choice and reach for regional customers and provide a platform to promote Whakatāne.
“This partnership is an important first step and we see real potential to build on it with further regional connections in the future and continue to help unlock opportunities for growth, employment and mobility across the country,” Emeny said.
“These connections are vital for local economies, by ensuring access to tourism, business, education and healthcare,” Meager said.
Some regional airlines have been under pressure lately.
Earlier this year, Air Chathams indicated it might have to discontinue its Whakatāne route.
Last month, Meager and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones announced concessionary loans of up to $30 million from the Regional Infrastructure Fund for small airlines.
And under the new Aviation Action Plan, the Government has been urged to support vulnerable regional routes by using the regional infrastructure fund to enable interlining arrangements between regional airlines, Air New Zealand and others.
Whakatāne District Council chief executive Steven Perdia said the council has long advocated for something similar to an interline arrangement.
“The partnership is great news for Whakatāne and the wider eastern Bay of Plenty and it’s good to see Air New Zealand and Air Chathams work together in support of regional New Zealand,” Perdia said.
Under the agreement, Air New Zealand will initially sell Air Chathams’ Whakatāne-Auckland services as part of connecting journeys.
An example of that might be Whakatāne to Auckland to Queenstown, or Dunedin to Auckland to Whakatāne.
Air New Zealand said more regional connections will be considered at a later stage.
John Weekes is a business journalist covering aviation and courts. He has previously covered consumer affairs, crime, politics and courts.