Prospects of future international flights jetting into Tauranga have been met with a firm no, with airport officials citing financial and environmental implications following Rotorua's sudden decision to stop flights abroad.

From April 25, 2015 Rotorua International Airport will cease international flights after Rotorua District Council decided to stop paying Air New Zealand to run twice-weekly flights to Sydney earlier this month.

Tauranga Airport. Photo: File.

International flights began between the two centres in December 2009, initially with three flights per week, before being reduced to two in January 2010.

Tauranga Airport manager Ray Dumble says contrary to belief there may be a gap in the market, but the airport will not be looking to add international flights to its roster.

Tauranga Airport is the fifth busiest controlled airport in New Zealand and capable of handling large aircraft such as Boeing 737-800 and Airbus 320.

He says there are a number of factors which stand between the airport and international flights, including financial and environmental - something they are not willing to move past.

Ray explains: 'We are right in the middle of the city and would have off-peak jets which wouldn't be very good at one o'clock in the morning when they are running a bit late.

'There are also massive costs, as proven by Hamilton, Palmerston North and Rotorua proving that it doesn't work [running costs including security, customs, and administration].”

Since 2009 the Rotorua District Council has paid $9.13 million to Air New Zealand as part of a "joint venture marketing" programme to keep the flights in Rotorua.

In addition Tauranga Airport would have to fence the airfield, costing about $1m and totally changing the way it operates, says Ray.

'When you fly out of here you would have to be screened because we would have to make it a sterile environment,” he adds.

But his main concern with opening up the airport to overseas flights is the environmental risk.

'I mean we had Psa nearly kill us,” says Ray, 'and we don't want to bring it back.

'I just think of the Tiger Moth in West Auckland - they still haven't got rid of it. It still rears its ugly head every now and then.

'So if we bought something like that into here we would stuff our billion dollar industry.”

A KVH spokesperson says the cancellation of trans-Tasman international flights in and out of Rotorua Airport means there is one less biosecurity risk pathway into New Zealand.

Since the flights started in 2009, Rotorua International Airport has been a potential entry pathway for biosecurity risks into the country, she says.

Of particular concern was the risk of importing Queensland fruit fly from Australia directly into the Bay of Plenty.

Last year KVH completed a preliminary review of border interventions at Rotorua Airport to ensure potential biosecurity risks to the kiwifruit industry were being managed appropriately.

The report stated Rotorua International Airport presented a low biosecurity risk compared to more than 70 per cent of international passengers landing in Auckland.

'While KVH was satisfied with the level of biosecurity intervention on this pathway, the cancellation of the flights eliminates this risk altogether and enables MPI resources to be applied to managing other pathways,” says the spokesperson.