6 | REGIONAL Glentanner Airport Fulton Hogan are proud to be associated with Glentanner Airport Fulton Hogan are specialists in road maintenance and construction, sealing and paving, earthworks, drainage, highways, subdivisions and civil construction solutions across the region. www.fultonhogan.com 03 687 4500 Meadows Road, Washdyke, Timaru 7910 Timaru New Homes & Buildings • Home Renovations • Carpentry Projects • Community Initiatives Proud to be associated with Glentanner Airport 0800 922 823 admin@hcclimited.co.nz highcountrycarpentry.com 1 Gall Street, Fairlie, South Canterbury T TAlexia Anderson Gateway to scenery and beyond... Glentanner Airport is a gateway to some of New Zealand’s most stunning scenery. For 60-plus years, Glentanner Airport has been connecting visitors with the Mackenzie Country district, while also supporting tourism, aviation and regional growth. Owned and operated by Ross and Helen Ivey, the airport started life in the 1960s with a grass airstrip that served Glentanner Station for agricultural purposes, including topdressing and rabbit control. It has since evolved to include scenic flights, helicopter tourism, recreational flying, pilot training and aerospace testing. The airport’s combination of open airspace, modern infrastructure and central South Island location continues to attract a diverse mix of aviation users. A turning point came in 1985 when Newmans Group developed the airport’s 1080-metre sealed runway to assist with the establishment of a regional tourism airline, linking Auckland, Rotorua, Christchurch, Glentanner and Queenstown. Commercial airline operations later stopped, but the airport remained a valuable asset to the community, where it continued to attract a wide range of operators. Today, Glentanner Airport is a gateway to some of New Zealand’s most stunning scenery, with scenic flight operators showcasing the area’s landscape to thousands of visitors each year. Ross says the airport has some long-standing partnerships that remain strong today. “Glentanner is very proud of our business association with The Helicopter Line and Whirlwide Helicopters over the 50-year period. The Helicopter Line is Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading helicopter company, operating with a fleet of modern Airbus helicopters specifically configured for flying in and around our outstanding national parks, glaciers, mountains, lakes and valleys.” The Helicopter Line now flies around 20,000 scenic passengers annually from Glentanner, and has invested significantly in hangars, staff accommodation and a fleet of modern Airbus helicopters, creating employment while strengthening the region’s tourism offerings. Those visitors also provide important flowon benefits for accommodation providers,
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