Air Travel (NZ) Ltd

They took delivery of their first De Havilland biplane aircraft at the end of 1934 and made it their business to carry passengers, mail and freight to remote parts of the West Coast.

Mercer had seen potential for a commercial air service in this region because there were no roads south of Ross and travellers relied on steamers and bullock tracks for access.

Air Travel's first scheduled flight took place in Fox Moth ZK ADI[1] on 18 December 1934, from Hokitika to South Westland, and occurred shortly after the airline began delivering mail.

[2] There was no other form of transport on its routes so Air Travel's aircraft were not commandeered by the government in September 1939 but took on patrol duties along the remote coastline on behalf of the RNZAF and continued restricted services to the public.

In 1942, Dragonfly ZK-AGP, piloted by Arthur Baines, lost a propeller and ditched into the sea, having just departed Westport en route to Nelson.

[3] In 1944, Dragon ZK-AHT, piloted by Colin Lewis, crashed on Mount Hope, en route from Nelson to Westport.

registered 15 May 1934 Original shareholders aside from the directors included a number of Franz Josef's Graham family and jeweller, J R Delahunty.