The airport is a council-controlled trading organisation - which operates with the intention of making a profit.
As part of the Local Government Act 2002, the airport is required to issue a statement of intent (SOI), the draft of which was presented to the Queenstown Lakes District Council's finance and corporate accountability committee in February, with the final version presented to the full council at its meeting on June 29.
In the draft version QAC stated "no capital injections from shareholders are expected in the current period".
However, in the final version QAC said "the company will consider the need for and sources of capital subscription as may be required".
Mr Sanderson said the word change did not "change the intent".
"In the draft, we're saying we're not expecting any new capital from the current shareholder - the QLDC - and we didn't.
"The final version was just better wording."
However, a prominent Queenstown businessman disagreed.
The man, who did not wish to be named, said an airport sale deal had been "on the table" for some time and the change of wording was to reflect what "was actually happening at the time".
"Any major shift from that statement of intent should require consultation with the shareholder.
"I understand that there was no mention of needing to issue shares or raise $28 million [in either SOI]."
QAC chairman Mark Taylor said discussions began with Auckland International Airport Ltd "90 days ago".
Councillor Vanessa van Uden, who sits on the finance committee, said at no time were any wording changes highlighted to the full council.
"You could take the line that we [the council] had it in front of us, we should have read it and you're right.
"But, if you're being open and transparent [they] should have highlighted it."
Mayor Clive Geddes, however, was "not at all" concerned with the wording change.
"I'm quite sure that the directors of QAC have clearly understood the ... SOI and its requirements and that would have been an important part of their considerations."
