Queenstown Airport may rely on Wanaka to help cope with huge visitor growth

Friday, 6 October 2017

A discussion on Wanaka aviation issues looms.

Wanaka Airport could be catering for about 2 million passenger movements in 2045, according to one scenario of aviation growth for the Queenstown Lakes district.

Deputy mayor Calum MacLeod, of Wanaka, described Queenstown Airport Corporation's growth projections as 'scary numbers' at a recent Wanaka growth forum.

Modern-era private jets at Queenstown Airport - could this be Wanaka in 30 years' time?

'You are talking roughly the operational size of Queenstown Airport now potentially at Wanaka … That is the concept that had me going 'Oh My God. And I live under the flight path,' MacLeod said.

The two million passenger movements are the overflow from an estimated 7.1 million passenger movements at Queenstown Airport in 30 years' time, something MacLeod suggested was unsustainable.

Deputy mayor Calum MacLeod says airport growth projections are 'scary numbers''.

Queenstown Airport chief executive Colin Keel and planning general manager Rachel Tregidga will be discussing the Queenstown Airport 30-year Master Plan with Wanaka.

* New terminal and dual operation with Wanaka considered for Queenstown Airport future growth

* Mixed reaction to Wanaka Airport land purchase**

In 1985, this humble building was Queenstown Airport's first international arrivals hall.

The Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) has prepared a 30-year master plan to cope with the growth in visitors and will share it with Wanaka on October 11.

However, the public meeting organised by tourism and business operators is not the start of consultation on what Wanaka Airport could look like in 30 years' time.

That discussion will begin in 2018, corporation chief executive Colin Keel said.

'Work on the Queenstown Master Plan started 18 months ago, prior to a long term lease for Wanaka Airport being awarded to QAC, which is why Wanaka is not included, though it was looked at as a potential complementary airport and new location option,' Keel said.

Vintage jet plane engine checks at Wanaka Airport during the 2014 Warbirds Over Wanaka Airshow.

Nevertheless, there is high interest in the meeting, following MacLeod's power point presentation at the Upper Clutha Link growth forum in September.

MacLeod showed photographs of what Queenstown Airport looked like 30 years ago and compared them to images of Wanaka's 'strangely similar' airport building now.

Visitor numbers are forecast to increase from 1.8 million now to 7.1 million in 2045.

If Queenstown could even manage 5 million of those passenger movements, there were still 2 million other passenger movements to cater for, MacLeod said.

'They are trying to work on one district, two airports. This is all part of a larger negotiation but Wanaka will be involved in some shape or form,' MacLeod said.

Wanaka Airport Users Group chairwoman Sue Telford said with Wanaka Airport's new manager Daniel Debono not starting until early next year, Wanaka aviation businesses felt 'left on the shelf at the moment'.

But Telford said she and other airport users was looking forward to the conversation with QAC and would go to the meeting to listen and learn.

'It is like making good cheese. And I don't think they have forgotten us,' Telford said.

She confirmed the airport users group was meeting immediately before the public meeting.

The Wanaka Recreational Pilots Group also plans to attend.

Chairman Stu Moore said the group of between 60 and 70 sport and recreational pilots decided to get organised after QAC was awarded the Wanaka Airport lease.

'We knew we probably needed to be a bit more active . . . Obviously we are all well aware that we will be up for changes in the future. We don't want to stand in the way of progress. We will be coming to the meeting and learning about what they want to do in Queenstown,' Moore said.

Wanaka aviation issues include the future cost of hangar ground leases, potential increases in user charges and fees and the cost of future infrastructure - for example, runway strengthening to take heavier or jet aircraft.

Wanaka recreational pilots do not want a repeat of what happened to the Wakatipu Aero Club, which was slowly squeezed out of Queenstown Airport by commercial businesses.

A rental car firm now sits on the land formerly occupied by the Wakatipu Aero Club's clubhouse and the pilots now fly out of Wanaka or Alexandra.

Keel said next week's briefing was part of a region-wide plan to inform and educate communities on future options for Queenstown Airport growth.

'We see Wanaka as a key element of a 'one airport business, two complementary airports' approach to support economic growth across the region and once the lease is finalised with QLDC, we will look to host similar engagement opportunities with the Wanaka community and region on the future of Wanaka Airport and how it can complement Queenstown Airport,' he said.

QAC has a public online survey, which includes a question on Wanaka Airport.

GO TO THE MEETING: Wednesday, October 11, Edgewater Hotel, Wanaka, 6pm - 7.30pm.