An increase in the number of Australian tourists has been good for Queenstown Airport and the region, and the trend is likely to continue, airport corporation chief executive Steve Sanderson told tourism operators at the New Zealand Hotel Council's 2009 survey presentation last week.
Industry support was urged for the airport's proposed plan change to extend operating hours, Mr Sanderson said.
International arrivals were up 34% this financial year, mainly transtasman tourists.
This winter, there would be 24 international flights a week, up from 16 last winter.
A record 790,000 passengers were expected by the end of the financial year, 690,000 of them from within New Zealand.
While domestic seat capacity was down by 1%, loadings were up 78%, Mr Sanderson said.
Airport infrastructure challenges included the $8 million runway end safety area (resa) project, which was on target for completion in early 2011.
The $5 million night-time asphalt resurfacing of the runway was expected to conclude in about two weeks.
The corporation estimated it would spend more than $1 million to place new noise boundaries.
Aircraft occupied the runway for an average of six minutes.
An idea was to build a parallel taxiway costing $8 million to enable quicker take-offs and landings.
Mr Sanderson said accommodation on the airport site was not in the QAC masterplan up to 2037.
Queenstown Lakes Mayor Clive Geddes told operators the council predicted the entire district would host 4.3 million visitors every year by 2030, up from 1.3 million annually now.
Mr Geddes said the district's average day population of 32,000 to 33,000 people (26,000 residents) roughly doubled during Christmas and January peaks to 71,000.
The summer peak was predicted to near double to 140,000 by 2030, he said.
