Mechanics Bay landed in Mechanics Bay, which was the centre of international aviation for New Zealand until the 1950s. Even after the construction of Auckland International Airport at Mangere in the 1960s, Mechanics Bay was still used by flying boats to the Pacific Islands, e.g. for the "Coral Route" to Fiji. From 1962 to 1989, Mechanics Bay was home to first Tourist Air Travel, then Mount Cook Airline then Sea Bee Air operating a fleet of Grumman Goose, Grumman Widgeon and Grumman Turbo Goose amphibian aircraft for regular scheduled passenger and freight services to the islands of the Hauraki Gulf (particularly Great
Westport Airport (New Zealand) these flights onto Wellington with Dragon Rapide aircraft. On March 1952 the much larger Douglas DC-3s were used on the Westport-Nelson-Wellington route. The year ended 31 March 1966 Wesport handled 7557 passengers up from 6615 from the year before. The runway was sealed in October 1970 to allow Friendship flights from Christchurch via Hokitika and onto Nelson and Wellington 6 days per week. Both the northbound and the southbound services flew into Westport in the afternoon. The airport terminal was refurbished in 2007. Westport Airport (New Zealand) Westport Airport is an airport in Kawatiri, Westport, New Zealand . Sounds Air