Taieri College pupil Benjamin Paterson has started a campaign to reinstate international flights to and from the city.
He created a survey, which has already had more than 2600 responses, to gather data for a presentation to the Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board next month and possibly the Dunedin City Council.
He asked respondents if they flew direct to Australia from Dunedin when international flights were available and if they would consider using the service if it was reinstated.
He was meeting local businesspeople next week to discuss how the lack of flights affected their businesses.
Benjamin has always been interested in planes, describing aviation as a "big passion", and he decided from an early age that he was going to have a career as a pilot.
Earlier this year, the Otago Aero Club member started working towards his private pilot’s licence and he described his first lesson as "one of the most unreal things" he had ever experienced.
"It gave me a rush and boosted even more how much I wanted to get into flying."
The overwhelming majority of survey respondents had been in support of reinstating international fights and he had also received many positive comments and messages from people wanting to help.
He said it was the airlines that needed targeted, not the council or airport, and he had emailed Jetstar, Air New Zealand, Virgin, Qantas "and actually Mr Christopher Luxon" — the former Air New Zealand chief executive — to explain the campaign.
He was grateful for the support of his parents and also community board chairman Andrew Simms, who had provided advice and opportunities.
Dunedin Airport business development general manager Megan Crawford said it was great to see Benjamin taking such a proactive approach in an effort to reconnect the region with Australia.
"We continue to identify and pursue opportunities with both existing and new airline partners through promoting our city and region, to establish a connection," she said.
