Queenstown Airport

Queenstown Airport Corporation chief executive Steve Sanderson is confident the year-long dispute over airport noise will be settled by the end of the week, as involved parties head back to the Environment Court today.

Some of the expected heat has come out of an Environmental Court hearing concerning noise and surrounding developments at Queenstown airport, as several parties have reached a compromise.

Four weeks of Environment Court hearings are coming up in Queenstown early next year, all dedicated to inter-related Queenstown matters and dealing with airport noise.

A revised Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) constitution has been adopted, without lowering the board's $70 million transaction consultation threshold, sought by two councillors.

The Office of the Auditor-general has begun a study concerning the controversial strategic alliance between Queenstown and Auckland airports, to "seek learnings" from existing council-controlled organisation models.

Professional director John Gilks, of Wanaka, has been announced as chairman of Queenstown Airport Corporation by the Queenstown Lakes District Council, which unanimously supported his appointment.

Queenstown Airport has started work on sealing its grass crosswind runway, which is closed up to 50 times a year due to unsafe surface conditions.

Qantas says it avoided 50 weather-related diversions at Queenstown Airport, including the winter blasts of snow on July 24 and August 14, thanks to innovative navigation technology.

Recruitment for two new directors for Queenstown Airport Corporation has begun - one to be appointed the chairman-elect until the board's annual meeting, with the possibility of a fifth director being appointed.

Queenstown Airport has seen a 13.9% increase in passenger numbers to the year ending June 30, 2011, despite disruptions caused by the Chilean volcanic ash cloud.