Uncertain welcome at Nelson Airport
Planes are still touching down and passengers are philosophical as Nelson Airport moves through the uncertain airspace of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Nelson Mail visited the region’s aviation hub on Thursday to see how it was bearing up under Covid-19 pandemic conditions.
Evidence of the current climate was clear to see around the terminal – from numerous hand sanitiser stations to digital billboards providing information and advice on minimising the risk.
Inside the terminal, a lunchtime buildup of passengers gave the impression of a typical day at an airport, which handles around one million passengers each year.
But once a flight to Auckland had left, the terminal had just a handful of cafe patrons – a possible glimpse into the expected decrease in passenger numbers forecast by the airport and others around the world.
According to the airport’s website, a total of 13 flight arrivals and 10 departures were scheduled between 3pm and 9pm, with only one arrival from Wellington cancelled, at 8.20pm.
While taxi and shuttle bus drivers were reluctant to speak on the record, the general agreement was that there had been a noticeable decrease in pick-ups and drop-offs in the last week.
One arriving passenger, Wellington nurse Emma Sands, had seen plenty of domestic and international air travel in recent days, having flown from Australia to Fiji and landing in Auckland prior to this week’s travel restrictions.
‘‘It was a pre-planned trip to Fiji, and [the restrictions] came in while we were over there, so we didn’t have much of a choice than to get home,’’ she said.
On Thursday, she arrived from
Wellington to stay with family in Nelson.
Despite the multi-stop itinerary in reaching her top of the south destination, Sands said her journey had been stress-free, with the added bonus of a few empty seats beside her.
‘‘It’s been quieter, if anything – but otherwise, just fine.’’
However, Thursday’s government warning advising against overseas travel may cause some issues for Sands, particularly future work opportunities and a trip to Europe planned for May.
‘‘There’s still a bit of time before then, so I’m going to wait and see what the situation is there,’’ she said.
‘‘It changes so quickly, so it’s hard to project even a month or two ahead.’’
‘‘[The situation] changes so quickly, so it’s hard to project even a month or two ahead.’’ Emma Sands, passenger