A report in NZ’s The Southland Times says that a widened runway and night lights could be necessary by 2012 at Queenstown Airport to cater for growing demand from trans-Tasman carriers but there had been no specific approaches from airlines as yet, corporation chairman Mark Taylor said yesterday.
The biggest constraint to accommodating after-dark flights at the airport was availability of aircraft for the airlines, Mr Taylor said.
However, he said he expected that as evening trans-Tasman flight arrivals became an option in Queenstown, and New Zealand’s domestic fleet increased, airlines would request these later timeframes.
“By which time we would need those works (runway widening and lights) under way and done,” Mr Taylor said.
He estimated demand for after-dark landings could be about five years away.
Queenstown would require “precision approach” to cater for night flights, which would include night lights and a widened runway.
“That is in our forward programme to do but we don’t have a fixed time or commitment to do it at this stage,” Mr Taylor said.
William Kernot, managing director of Australian ski wholesaler Ski Max, said an enlarged runway and night lights at Queenstown Airport would make for a “huge increase” in the number of Australians coming to Queenstown.
“If Queenstown Airport could market itself more as an international airport on a larger scale than it is now … it would make a huge difference,” Mr Kernot said.
He said this could encourage more trans-Tasman discount carriers, such as Pacific Blue and Jetstar, into Queenstown.
Mr Kernot said it was two to three times more expensive for passengers to fly into Queenstown than direct to Christchurch.
Pacific Blue public and media relations manager Amanda Bolger said yesterday the airline was always looking at “potential new opportunities, and Queenstown is one of them”, although there were no immediate plans to begin flights to and from Queenstown.
Report by The Mole
