Boom calls for new airport: Air NZ
Air New Zealand says a new Central Otago airport is needed to handle booming tourist numbers.
The airline made the suggestion in a submission supporting Queenstown Airport proposals to change noise rules to accommodate growth.
Air New Zealand chief ground operations manager Carrie Hurihanganui said further investigation of a Central Otago terminal was justified because new noise boundaries, even combined with development at Wanaka Airport, would not be sufficient to sustainably grow visitor arrivals.
Therefore an airport able to handle future domestic and international demand should be considered, along with ‘‘appropriate transport solutions’’ to spread the visitors around all Central Otago communities.
International arrivals into Queenstown Airport had grown by between 10 per cent and 43 per cent a year since 2008, and even an expansion of Wanaka Airport would be insufficient to sustainably handle increased visitor numbers, Hurihanganui said.
‘‘Given the growth of visitors to Otago by land and air, and given the economic benefits of tourism, it’s time to consider the future from a strategic vantage point.’’
Air New Zealand encouraged Queenstown Airport to work with central and local government and airlines on options, regardless of the outcome of noise boundary changes that have been strongly opposed by affected residents.
Queenstown Airport’s 2017 masterplan looked at 20 possible alternative sites, but ruled out relocation because of cost, accessibility issues and environmental impacts.
Asked to comment on a hypothetical scenario of closing the airport and using the land for housing, Queenstown mayor Jim Boult said it was not something they had ever considered because of the airport’s proximity to the town.
It currently handles 2 million passengers a year, a figure forecast to increase to 7 million by 2045.
That was a lot of people to ‘‘put through the gorge’’ if the airport shifted to land near Cromwell or Alexandra, Boult said, and a new airport was difficult to justify given they already had two.
‘‘It’s not off the cards, but it’s highly unlikely.’’
Future development of Wanaka airport is under consideration, but Boult warned it would carry a hefty price tag.
‘‘It would have a lot of zeros attached to it. The runway there is too short, too narrow and too shallow to take even an ATR at present, let alone an A320 [aircraft].’’
Aviation consultant Irene King said there was talk about a new Central Otago airport at least a decade ago and it would have the advantage of being able to take larger jets flying direct from longer-haul destinations. ‘‘That’s when you start to see the likes of Air Asia showing an interest,’’ she said.
However, she said a new Central Otago airport would undoubtedly funnel traffic away from Christchurch.
‘‘It would shift the dynamic of the place quite dramatically. Christchurch would have to work hard.’’
‘‘Given the growth of visitors to Otago by land and air, and given the economic benefits of tourism, it’s time to consider the future from a strategic vantage point.’’ Air New Zealand chief ground operations manager Carrie Hurihanganui