Queenstown Airport looks set to bear the brunt of the arrivals – 7.1 million passengers are anticipated to use the airport by 2045. However, plans to double flights sparked outrage last month, with the community saying the area is struggling to handle existing visitor numbers – let alone adding more to the mix.
Instead residents began pointing to nearby regions to pick up the slack, including Invercargill, Dunedin and Wanaka.Invercargill Airport general manager Nigel Finnerty said Southland already had a ready-made option – it had one of the longest runways in the country, diverted flights from Queenstown already land there and weather rarely effected flights.
Mr Finnerty said that unlike some of the other areas they think are being talked about – the Lumsden, Wanaka and maybe some of the Central Otago locations. They have just got a new terminal down here and as part of the new terminal they factored in security and the need to potentially have that in the future.
The additional costs would be involved to prepare the airport, but it would cost significantly less than other options, including building a new Central Otago airport, he said.
Air New Zealand suggested the new airport in its submission to the Queenstown Airport expansion in September, which was welcomed by Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan at the time.
Venture Southland business and strategic projects group manager Steve Canny said he thought communities would back bringing more flights to the regions. Dunedin Airport chief executive Richard Roberts said the airport had a significant amount of capacity to pick up more flights.
The lack of curfews, current terminal upgrades and runway length put the airport in a strong position, Mr Roberts said.
The main issue would then become attracting airlines to boost their flights outside of Queenstown, he said.
Mr Roberts has thrown down the gauntlet to Regional Tourism Organisations in the lower South Island to work together to market the region as a whole. Dunedin City Mayor Dave Cull said if there was an opportunity to host more flights, they would be welcomed.
Last month, Queenstown Airport announced it was putting expansion plans on ice, saying it would focus on the Wanaka Airport master plan instead.
