Councillors adopted plan change recommendations by commissioners Bob Batty, Stephen Chiles and David Clarke that the QAC be allowed to increase its air noise boundaries, but rejected its proposal for 11 night flights a week between 10pm and midnight.
QAC chief executive Steve Sanderson told the Otago Daily Times the corporation was pleased plan change 35 had been adopted, as it would allow the airport to extend its noise boundaries.
"Hopefully, that will go through without any appeals.
"Overall, it's great news for the airport ... but I guess the thing people really want to know is what are we going to do about the 10pm to midnight [decision].
"We are still considering our next steps and whether we will appeal that, but before we do, we'll be discussing it with businesses and tourist operators and even other parties such as residents to gauge people's views."
General feedback to date from residents around the airport was they accepted flights until 10pm, but flights until midnight "would be intrusive to their living".
"We acknowledge that, but equally the business drivers behind it do acknowledge [the benefits of] short stay transtasman [flights]."
There was possibly a business case for enabling flights to land until midnight, which could allow people to board a plane in Sydney on a Friday evening and land in Queenstown before midnight to start their weekend break.
Mr Sanderson said Jetstar was "behind night flights".
"There's a strong interest in 10pm to midnight [by Jetstar] but there is substantial work to get those changes through, and that means going to the Environment Court.
"There has to be a strong commitment from all the local businesses and tourist operators as well.
"Air New Zealand in their submission said they did not have a business case to need night flights in the foreseeable future, but their model is a little bit different to [Jetstar]."
A Jetstar spokesman said yesterday the company was "in dialogue" with Queenstown Airport and supported its move to extend the operational hours.
"We are an advocate of extending the operational hours to support what we have flagged as future growth opportunities.
"We have been in dialogue with the airport for some time and support what appears to be a collective move to extend the operational hours and assist in further developing the airfield," he said.
Once the council had formally notified its decision, "then the clock starts ticking", with QAC allowed 15 working days to lodge an appeal in the Environment Court, Mr Sanderson said.
