NZ’s regional air routes are under pressure. Is more government intervention the answer?

Marty Melville/Getty Images Air New Zealand’s concerning recent moves to cut some regional flights have come on the back of soaring jet fuel prices. But they also highlight a deeper problem that has been worsening for years. The aviation industry has long warned of decline within New Zealand’s regional air network, with recent seat capacity on regional routes reportedly well down on pre-pandemic levels. Last September, months before the crisis in the Middle East piled on more pressure, the…