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Source: ONE News -
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History has been made in Rotorua with the first direct flight landing in the city from Sydney on Saturday afternoon.
The Air New Zealand Airbus A320 arrived on schedule at 2:30pm carrying VIPs, including Rotorua mayor Kevin Winters, and were welcomed by Kapa Haka group.
Winters says it's the first time ever people will be able to fly from the superb tourist destination of Sydney directly to Rotorua.
He says it's absolutely magnificent for the region and the Rotorua community.
Winters says the trans-Tasman link would make the city "truly international ...it is history in the making".
"As a council we have been working hard towards this day, the benefits will be astronomical. I look at Queenstown and the economic impacts similar flights have generated."
The twice-weekly service is a multi-million dollar venture which has taken nearly 10 years to get off the ground.
Rotorua District Council have had to lengthen and strengthen the runway to handle two A320 airbuses a week.
The flight was turned around in an hour and took off for Sydney just after 3:30pm.
There will be twice-weekly services between Rotorua and Sydney.
