12 May 2015

No decision yet on Cooks flight

2:08 pm on 12 May 2015

The Cook Islands prime minister Henry Puna isn't ready to make a decision on last month's referendum, where the majority of people on Aitutaki said they wanted Sunday flights to the island scrapped.

Mr Puna called the referendum as part of a campaign promise in the lead-up to a by-election on the island.

Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna

Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna Photo: Phillipa Webb / Cook Islands News

The result from the April 22nd referendum showed 56 percent of voters wanted Sunday flights to end.

Mr Puna's chief executive Edwin Pittman says the prime minister is tied up with a foreign delegation from New Zealand for the next three days, and is unlikely to make a decision on whether he will accept the result of the referendum, until next week.

The flights have caused ongoing tension since being introduced six years ago, as those opposed to them say Sunday is a sacred day when businesses shouldn't operate.