International, interesting, innovative.
All eyes on Kāpiti Airport
Rhyan Wardman
Rhyan Wardman – Board Chair & Director, Sounds Air
“Sounds Air is one of the oldest airlines in New Zealand, going back 30-odd years. I originally invested in Sounds Air in 2009, and soon after we introduced several new routes and quickly went f rom flying the Cook Strait to having a network focusing on connectivity that spanned f rom Taupō to all the way to Wānaka.
Then in 2019 we did a strategic review of the business. We were looking at the anticipated aircraft we wanted to fly, the increase in demand, and the connectivity. It became apparent that there was an evolution in aviation that was happening in which the traditional power source, i.e. the propulsion systems, were being reassessed under a decarbonised lens, meaning a zero emission solution was on its way. We realised that the early adopters of this technology would be the smaller regional operators like ourselves, providing short hop connecting flights.
So in 2021 we commissioned a feasibility study co-funded with EECA (Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority), and the summary was compelling. An electric motor attached to a battery is a far more simple thing than a gas turbine engine. That’s reflected in the cost of acquisition and the cost of maintenance.
It was a moment in business that doesn’t happen often: seeing a feasibility study that concludes lower cost, increased services, and no emissions. To us it looked like an extraordinary win-win situation.
From there we started engaging with equipment manufacturers across the world, looking at batteries, hybrid models, and hydrogen fuel cell technology.
Alongside sourcing the right equipment, we are engaged with government across different agencies and we established an Airport Inf rastructure Forum which includes Kāpiti Airport, because it was anticipated that it will be a key hub for early adopters of this technology to enable the facilitation of these first short hop flights. It’s about looking at what’s required to make it happen at a local level – electricity supply, hydrogen supply, and other considerations which will be unique to the electrification of aviation.
I think the most important point for everyone to understand is that it’s not a matter of if this happens, it’s when. When this technology becomes mainstay, it will improve regional connectivity, and it will then improve at a rapid rate. The position of Kāpiti means it’s perfectly placed to be a hub to facilitate a short hop electric network. In fact it would be central to a number of nearby smaller airports and critical to the success of other hubs.
The really exciting opportunity for New Zealand is that most of our energy supply comes f rom renewable sources and this is a way to not only continue that story but to also lead the charge by embracing the challenge to act quickly and become experts in the support services and inf rastructure required to make this a reality. Imagine a tech hub at Kāpiti where we could train pilots, have simulators, get engineers up to speed, and pioneer the solutions for this next wave of technology.
The reason we need to talk about this now, before the technology is here, is because we need to get used to the idea that our connectivity will be reimagined. It’s a new ecosystem if you like, which people will be able to look at and think ‘wow, how do we get that in our community?’
Look at how quickly electric vehicles became mainstream and how rapidly the technology evolved. Nowadays there is no such thing as ‘range anxiety’ if you were to buy the latest model of e-vehicle, because the inf rastructure is there and the cars can go further. We have seen that development in just five short years.
The rate of change that happens within the aviation sector will be just as rapid, if not more so, than e-vehicles. It’s coming. And it’s going to be a great thing when it arrives.”
Katherine Corich
Katherine Corich – Chair, Sysdoc Group; NonExec Director, UK Civil Aviation Authority; member CAAi, CAA UK International board; member, Air New Zealand Sustainability Advisory
Panel; Independent Member, Te Tauaarangi o Aoteoroa, Royal NZ Air Force Leadership Board
“My introduction to the world of aviation came from my father, and when I was young I dreamed of being a pilot. However, whether military or civil aviation, women just weren’t getting employed at the time, so I did a degree in French and Sociolinguistics. When I finished and still really wanted to fly, I decided to self fund my training.
I learned to fly at Paraparaumu Airport, as it was known then, and worked for IBM to pay for my flying lessons. I got my private pilot licence, commercial licence and instructor rating all while I was working in IT.