Queenstown Airport says it is taking "immediate steps" to ensure there are no further breaches of its air noise boundaries, after a "minor breach" was picked up for this calendar year.
The airport operates within noise boundaries set in the Queenstown Lakes District Council’s district plan and each year publishes "aircraft noise contours", which are independently verified using actual flight data to report on compliance with the boundaries over the previous year, as well as a forecast for the following year.
The 2024 compliance report was tabled at the Queenstown Airport liaison committee on Tuesday last week and confirmed airport operations remained within the boundaries last year.
However, a minor breach of the boundary to the south of the airfield was expected for the 2025 compliance reporting period.
According to airport sustainability and corporate affairs general manager Sara Irvine, it related to helicopter activity and increased use of the crosswind runway by small fixed-wing aircraft.
"Exceptionally fine weather last summer contributed to record activity by the flight-seeing businesses based at Queenstown Airport."
Ms Irvine said scheduled flights, by jets and turboprop, used the main runway, and their activity remained well within permitted noise boundaries, with capacity for planned growth.
Airport chief executive Shane O’Hare said the company took its responsibility to operate within permitted noise parameters "very seriously", so was informing its shareholders — the council and Auckland International Airport Ltd — and the community about the likely breach now, rather than waiting for next year’s compliance reporting.
"Immediate steps are being taken to ensure this does not happen again."
Mr O’Hare said the airport was working with general aviation operators and air traffic service provider Airways to reduce the use of the crosswind runway.
"In simple terms, about four small fixed-wing flights a day during peak season need to be moved from the crosswind runway to the main runway for future compliance."
