Shane Jones knows when he's on to a good thing.

Air New Zealand's cuts to regional services have been highly unpopular, and as minister for regional development he's the one with the mandate to stick up for the provinces.

So he's doing it, and couldn't really care less about the impropriety of taking a stick to an airline which operates as an independent company although it's majority owned by the government.

NZ First campaigned as a regional champion and Jones is reminding voters of that.
The prime minister didn't initially intervene, despite the airline's complaints, but when he said its board should stay out of politics or resign she had no choice.

"I have certainly explained to him he is entitled to an opinion, which he has shared, but suggesting anyone from the board should go is a step too far," Jacinda Ardern told media.

Jones confirmed she had made her point "crystal clear" and he accepted he had no authority to affect board level changes.

"But my challenge to the board remains the same - do not write provincial New Zealand out of Air New Zealand's script," he said, making it crystal clear he wasn't going to keep quiet.

Jones claimed his phone was running hot with support for his criticism of Air New Zealand, and the Wanganui Chronicle weighed in.

"Air NZ isn't here to serve the people of New Zealand, it's here to chase maximum profit," the editorial said.

"Good on Jones for delivering a few home truths."

It now appears to have dawned on Labour, somewhat belatedly, that Jones is getting traction and probably votes as well.

Transport Minister Phil Twyford, a Cabinet heavyweight, decided on Friday it was time he got in on the act.

"Shane was expressing a view that was entirely consistent with what our government stands for - the regions cannot put up with the constant retrenchment and cutting back of infrastructure and services," he said.

"The next time I sit down with Christopher Luxon [Air NZ's chief executive] we're going to have a conversation about the actual rationale for cutting the Kapiti air service... I want to know what Air New Zealand's plans are for servicing regional New Zealand."

Twyford acknowledged the government couldn't instruct the airline to do anything, but he issued a warning: "They have an obligation to listen to the views of the major shareholder and take those views into account."

Presumably, those views are going to be that there must be no more cuts to regional air services. Which is precisely what Jones wants.