A Sea Sprite helicopter from No. 6 Squadron flies over the Treaty Grounds on Waitangi Day 2021. Photo: Peter de Graaf
Waitangi Day is without doubt the biggest day of the year on the ground in Northland - but it's also the region's busiest time in the sky.
Far North Holdings airports manager Daniel Alexander said more air passengers came through Bay of Islands Airport during Waitangi week than any other time of year.
Across the week, passenger numbers were about 40 percent higher than usual, but on the busiest days - 4, 5 and 7 February - numbers were significantly higher again.
Alexander said Air New Zealand had scheduled two extra ATR-72 aircraft on Wednesday on top of the usual five Dash-8s, which meant an extra 140 seats in and out of Kerikeri.
The airport had also seen many more charter flights than usual this week, including private and business jets. Air passengers included the likes of the governor-general, iwi leaders and government ministers.
An Air Force King Air 350 dropping off military personnel was among this week's arrivals, and a Sea Sprite helicopter operated by No. 6 Squadron was due Wednesday in preparation for Thursday's ceremonies.
Alexander said total passenger numbers at Kerikeri were growing rapidly, from around 50,000 a year in 2015 to 130,000 during the past 12 months.
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