This year the global airline industry has collapsed, but one man on the East Cape has decided to turn that completely on its head and start his own airline.
Mahanga Maru has always dreamed of having an airline named after his small town — Air Ruatoria.
Now that dream could very much become a reality before the year's end.
Maru, who is also the head pilot, is ready to launch his scenic flight business from Ruatoria’s paddock runway.
“The borders are closed, people will be scratching their heads trying to figure out where to go and I reckon the East Coast is a great place to visit. Come meet the locals. Get a sense of the place,” Maru told TVNZ1's Seven Sharp.
Interest in the business venture is already high.
“I've had three pilot applications, which is quite humbling.”
Seven Sharp’s Julian Lee took to the skies for a look in the video above.
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