North Otago branch chairman Ian Little said yesterday there were "exciting alternatives" to be explored.
Prof Herbert Harris, of Dunedin, has been asked to look at options for an air service after Air New Zealand announced on Tuesday its Eagle Air service to Oamaru would end on January 1.
Prof Harris has 40 years' experience in the aviation industry and is internationally recognised.
He is a councillor on the Aviation Industry Association, and a specialist on cost efficiencies, contracts and lease agreements in the transport industry.
Mr Little met Prof Harris in Dunedin yesterday to enlist his assistance.
Mr Little said "every stone would be turned" to keep an air service operating at Oamaru airport.
Prof Harris would explore several options, including a service between Oamaru and Wellington using flights already passing over North Otago.
"We want to explore all ways of making it happen, particularly with some of the major developments in the area in the future," he said.
Mr Little said those included the Holcim (New Zealand) Ltd proposal for a new cement plant, a power scheme on the lower Waitaki River proposed by Meridian Energy Ltd and a $100 million dairy processing plant near Glenavy.
It was too early to know what options for an air service might exist, but the chamber, in conjunction with the Waitaki District Council and Waitaki Development Board, had some breathing space before the existing flights ended.
"We believe it's worth exploring every avenue."
Mr Little said Prof Harris' standing in the aviation community and his good relationship with Air NZ gave credibility to any proposal developed.
"But, at the end, it is up to Air NZ to be satisfied.
"We still have to put a case that is viable economically and from an operational point of view," he said.
The North Otago branch chairman of the Otago Chamber of Commerce, Fraser McKenzie, said the service's cancellation was "frustrating, but not unexpected".
The chamber had been involved since the start of this year, along with the Waitaki District Council, to try to make the service work.
"There were some nagging frustrations for the business traveller around timetable issues and the reliability of the service," Mr McKenzie said.
The reliability issue dated back to last year, when some flights were cancelled and people were transported by bus.
The reliability had improved, but a lack of confidence remained, he said.
