Historic HB: Damages sought after fatal plane crash 21 Jan, 2021 09:59 PM 5 minutes to read Hawkes Bay Today By: Michael Fowler Before the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake cleared the Ahuriri inner lagoon of water, Napier struggled to find a piece of land in which to operate an airfield. Hastings, on the other hand, had large expanses of open, flat country. So when Dominion Airlines Limited was formed in 1929 it chose Hastings as its aerodrome for its flights between Gisborne and Wellington. It began its service in 1930. When the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake had struck on February 3, Dominion Airlines' Desoutter II had been undergoing an overhaul at Hastings. The company, however, took the opportunity to increase business due to the earthquake, and its directors told George Bolt to resume flying between Hastings and Gisborne, with a fare hike to £4 ($419).