Flying with purpose.
Caring for our whenua.
Kaitiekitanga
Our responsibility to the whenua
Kaitieki is the Ngāti Porou word for guardian. For Air Ruatoria, kaitiekitanga is about understanding our responsibility to care for the whenua, Te Taiao and the communities within our rohe.
We know that every flight has an impact. Air Ruatoria operates a normally aspirated aircraft rather than a jet, but aviation still produces carbon emissions. Like every business, we also consume resources as part of our day-to-day operations.
Our responsibility is to acknowledge these impacts and look for practical ways to reduce them.
We aim to minimise waste and unnecessary consumption across our operations while supporting projects that restore and strengthen the natural environment around us.
Our whenua
Our responsibility
Restoration
In 2023, local schools, kaumātua and members of the community came together to plant 2,000 locally grown native plants, including Ngutukākā (kākā beak, Clianthus maximus).
The planting was more than an environmental project. It was a way for our community to acknowledge the incredible support received by the East Coast following Cyclone Gabrielle.
When roads were closed, power and fuel supplies were disrupted and communities were cut off, the aerodrome became a vital connection to the outside world. Pilots from across the North Island flew essential supplies into Ruatōria, including approximately two tonnes of kai and other necessities for whānau affected by the cyclone.
The 2,000 native plants were planted as a living mihi to the people, whānau, organisations and communities who came to the East Coast’s aid.