Making it good to go
FROM C1
International students could also bring in a further $70m a year and 1200 jobs, but at the very least, it will increase the operational capacity of the airport, Mr Clarke says.
‘‘Last weekend some passengers had to be offloaded [from a Virgin Australia flight] because the wind wasn’t strong enough for it to take off.
‘‘Stuff like that certainly adds a weight of evidence in support of the runway extension. It’s not optimal to have restrictions like that placed on the aircraft that are operating out of your airport.’’
GET A MOVE ON
Thankfully, some might say, one of the things you will not see at the airport any time soon is a sign telling you to get in and out in less than five minutes or it will cost you.
Last month, the airport bowed to public pressure and dropped its controversial plans to charge any motorist who spent longer than 300 seconds in its drop-off zone.
Airport staff did plenty of testing and were confident that five minutes was more than enough time to unload your bags use, but people became focused on the, ‘Crikey, if we’re not in and out within five minutes, then we’ll have to pay’,’’ Mr Clarke says.
‘‘Really, we didn’t want the change to be about that.’’
In the end, the aiport abandoned the plan and doubled the free parking time limit to 10 minutes.
It still believes that five minutes would have sufficed, but it is equally confident that a 10-minute limit will eliminate the congestion problem.
‘‘If everyone parked their cars for 10 minutes, then there wouldn’t be enough space to accommodate all the dropping-off. But we don’t expect people to do that. We expect people will use the time well.
‘‘We’ve looked at different airports around the world and we’ve got a pretty good gauge of what works and what doesn’t, and we’re very confident that this plan will.’’
‘‘Rearrangement’’ of the parking area is an option if the congestion persists, Mr Clarke says.
And for those who do get caught out by the airport’s new 10-minute rule, the news is not all bad.
Along with the parking changes, the airport has dropped the price of uncovered terminal parking from $3 to $2 for a 15-minute stay and from $5 to $4 for a 30-minute stay. Wellington Airport is developing a bit of a reputation for changing its mind. The parking backdown last month was the latest in a string of decisions that have not gone down well with the public.
First there was the contentious ‘‘Wellywood’’ sign planned for the Miramar cutting, which Wellingtonians rejected en masse in 2011.
More recently, the airport backed down from its fight with the Commerce Commission over price increases.
Under a plan established in March last year, it intended to raise landing fees by 70c a passenger a year until 2017. Those fees are charged to airlines, but they are commonly passed on to customers through fares.
Airport management has also been criticised for not involving the community over plans to remove 22 houses from Bridge St in Rongotai that border its runway.
The five-minute parking rule also appears to have been something of a final straw.
During talks with Ms King and community representatives, it was also agreed to set up a community liaison committee, to address the airport’s poor record of community engagement. change the carpet, there’s a lot of public opinion.
‘‘Sometimes what is lost is that public opinion goes both ways. If you look at the history of the airport, we’re pretty much doing a big development every few months, whether it’s a new shop or a new control tower, and you can’t get it right all the time.
‘‘But we certainly work hard, too, and we do get it right most of the time.’’
He points to development of the main terminal 15 years ago, the airport’s guarantee that its shops will match the prices of those in the city, and the development of its international terminal, known as The Rock, as examples of wins it has had with the public.
Wellington airport also does very favourably when it comes to customer surveys, Mr Clarke says.
It has the third-highest service quality rating in Australasia and is in the top quartile in the world for similar-sized airports.
‘‘Even though there are some issues that people voice their concerns about, generally, Wellingtonians love this airport.
‘‘It’s probably the same for all public facilities.
‘‘A lot of people use them, so they have an opinion. Everyone’s a designer.’’