History was made, on Sunday night, as Invercargill Airport became the country's first non-international, regional airport, to get a regular jet service.

The sold-out flight, from Auckland, touched down in the Deep South, just after 9:30pm on Sunday night, where the travellers were greeted by an enthusiastic crowd.

Airport general manager, Nigel Finnerty, said: "people had worked really hard, for the last two years, to make it happen."

The A-Three-Twenty service, is set to run five days a week, with the potential to air-freight over two tonnes of cargo.

This could mean perishable, and high-value freight, such as seafood, leaving Invercargill, at 6:00am, can be on plates, in the Viaduct Basin, by lunchtime.