Air Chathams

Apparently we are.

I know that Jeff Davis has been in touch and Dwayne Emery out of Air Chatham, so we could make this happen, Dane.

Was there a time that would suit you for a barbeque?

Oh, any time, boys.

It's in the social media clip.

And now the fine folk at Air Chathams who run the route between Auckland and Whanganui, they have said, well, we'll get you there.

And we might get a little...

It'll be an eventful barbecue now.

Oh, my goodness.

So we're going.

Now, also spoke to Air Chathams.

You know how since we started doing the weather, we've both been quite adamant that we should go to the Chathams? Have they got Wi-Fi there? We should go to the Chathams.

All, all of this so in the context of the fact that, that, that all airlines are struggling.

So if we go through the, the, the government's announcement of a, of a-- from the Regional Infrastructure Fund, uh, I guess, working capital grants for regional airlines, right? Air Chatham, seventeen mil, Sounds Air, four point five mil, Golden Bay Air, one point one mil, Sun Air, two point eight mil.

This is just to keep these guys going, essentially.

Yeah.

Let's use Auckland, Whakatane, for example.

Air New Zealand pulls out of that route.

Air Chathams goes in.

Air Chathams are going to join us later in the program.

All of this, though, in the context of the fact that all airlines are struggling.

So if we go through the government's announcement from the Regional Infrastructure Fund, I guess, working capital grants for regional airlines, right? Air Chatham, 17 mil.

Sounds Air, 4.5 mil.

Golden Bay Air, 1.1 mil.

Why the hell would a competitor want to enter that route?

It is difficult for those competitors.

And one of the solutions that we're proposing here is for Air Chathams to be able to get code share and pass through arrangements so it's clear to passengers that they can not only book from Auckland to Whakatane with Air Chats, but they can also book an international route straight into Whakatane from what it looks like from the consumer's perspective is straight through.

But from the airline's perspective as a co-sharing arrangement, because when we have international visitors, those larger airlines aren't passing on the international visitors straight into the regional airlines.

It's outright corporate greed.

But we also have a responsibility, I believe, to provide these services to the regions, and us and Air Chathams and Barrier do that very well, I believe.

I just want to pick up on that phrase, it's outright corporate greed.

In terms of how much what you're saying is greed has cost in terms of extra fuel costs this year, have you got a dollar figure in terms of what extra you have spent?