Air New Zealand (NZ, Auckland International) has expressed its support for a proposed construction of a new airport in Central Otago to relieve the congested and noise-restricted Queenstown International in the South Island, Stuff has reported.
Chief ground operations officer Carrie Hurihanganui said that even the adjustment of the noise limits at Queenstown combined with the expansion of the existing local facility at Wanaka would not be sufficient to cope with the projected growth of the traffic to the region.
Wanaka currently handles only general aviation and small-scale commercial traffic and is limited by its 1,200-metre-long runway.
Queenstown and the Otago region are among the top tourist destinations in New Zealand.
The existing Queenstown airport handles around 2 million passengers per year but is projected to serve 7 million annually by 2045. In 2017, the airport ruled out full relocation due to high costs. The city mayor also spoke against closing down the existing facility, seeing its proximity to the city as a strategic advantage.
Air New Zealand is the main operator at Queenstown with a 60.3% market share by capacity.
No location has yet been firmed for the proposed Central Otago airport.
