Last week, Ben Mitchell shared his perspectives about Queenstown Airport in the context of the consultation on Wānaka Airport (Opinion ODT 29.8.25).
In a nutshell, Mr Mitchell asserts that Queenstown Airport has a second secret master plan that should be provided to inform the Queenstown Lakes District Council-led Wānaka Airport Future Review consultation currently under way. This is simply mischievous.
To be clear, there is no hidden plan. Queenstown Airport, in partnership with its majority shareholder, the QLDC, conducted extensive community consultation on the future of Queenstown Airport in 2023.
This process culminated in a master plan that was endorsed by our shareholders, airline partners and general aviation customers. This plan is available on our website, as is a full report on the consultation process and copies of all the submissions received.
The master plan sets out two phases of development. It provides a robust framework for the airport’s evolution through to 2032 and also protects for future planning decisions beyond that.
We know Queenstown Airport has the capacity, as well as the means, to serve the region well into the future and, as Mr Mitchell himself states, it is common practice for airports to revise their master plans regularly.
Mr Mitchell refers to a professional background developing and expanding larger airports, including Christchurch Airport. The large airports in New Zealand serve a vital role and are understandably focused on growth and courting route development to support and enable our national prosperity.
Respectfully, we do not agree that the same planning approach should be adopted by regional airports.
Queenstown and Wānaka airports are important community assets majority and fully owned, respectively, by QLDC. As such, the views of the people of the region are of paramount importance.
Queenstown Airport previously took a different approach, and we learned the hard way that we were out of step with community expectations. The very clear feedback we received was that genuine community consultation is imperative.
We have taken that feedback seriously and, over the past five years, we have worked hard to rebuild trust and transparency. That remains a core focus.
Mr Mitchell suggests long-term demand forecasts for Queenstown Airport should guide decisions about Wānaka Airport. This puts the cart before the horse.
Airports respond to growth, but the notion that an airport should determine growth, independent of the wishes of the community it serves, is outdated.
In a world where decarbonisation and destination management are becoming increasingly important planning considerations, infrastructure planning should reflect the aspirations of the residents and businesses of the region. This applies to both Queenstown and Wānaka airports.
Take the progressive work of our regional tourism organisations — Destination Queenstown, Lake Wānaka Tourism, and Tourism Central Otago. Destination management plans have been prepared with widespread community consultation and support.
With respect for this collective vision, we are focused on sustainable growth sensitive to the communities we serve and to understanding optimal visitation.
At Queenstown Airport, we are getting on with a major programme of development that will improve facilities for passengers and provide better operating infrastructure for the airlines and businesses that operate here.
We are pleased that QLDC is engaging with the Wānaka and Upper Clutha communities on their aspirations for Wānaka Airport and how the airport can best serve them now and into the future. These conversations are important, but they must be grounded in facts, not speculation.
We encourage everyone to continue to participate in the consultation process, so that a full range of perspectives are heard as options for the airport are considered.
■ Todd Grace is chief operating officer of Queenstown Airport Corporation.
