Bombardier Q300's are set to hit the tarmac for the first time next week at Kapiti Coast Airport as Air Nelson conduct their first training flights in Kapiti. The flights will help Air Nelson crew to familiarise with the new domestic destination, ironing out their flight and ground handling procedures at the airport. Air Nelson, a subsidiary of Air New Zealand, will run 18 return flights a week between Kapiti and Auckland, starting on October 25, using the 50 seater Q300 aircraft. Airport director Sir Noel Robinson said it was exciting to have the planes ready to train at the airport, and comes after plenty of hard work brought the airport up to standard. "We've had the runway upgrade, the terminal, all of our systems changing," Sir Noel said. "We are almost there. It is all very exciting." The training flights will be for crew only, no passengers on board. Air Nelson general manager Grant Kerr said when services begin, business people and leisure travellers were expected to snap up the flights. Weekday flights would appeal to business people travelling between Kapiti and Auckland, and to those connecting to international flights out of Auckland. Sir Noel said once flights have started in October work will begin to bring more companies to the airport, improving the aviation industry in Kapiti. "It will bring more interest, jobs. It will boost the economy. We just need to attract those businesses to the airport." The airport company is in the final stages of negotiations with five businesses to lease space in a new building, near Mitre 10 Mega. Chief executive Steve Bootten said discussions were delayed after the Christchurch earthquakes, with the nationwide businesses having to deal with Canterbury issues. He confirmed that a Foodstuffs company would be opening a "mini- market" in the new building, but could not name any of the businesses who would take up leases. "We should be able to announce that fairly soon," he said.
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