A decision on the future of the Wānaka Airport is scheduled to land today.
At today’s full council meeting, the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) corporate services department is seeking councillor approval of its "preferred future operating scenario" for the airport and to direct officers to return with options for implementing a new masterplan.
Independent consultancy Egis presented the findings of its survey to councillors last month after two rounds of community engagement around potential development scenarios, along with recommendations for the future planning and management of the airport.
Its consultation found a strong preference for "a general aviation airport" supported by limited turboprop services (less than 30-seat aircraft) to nearby cities.
Neither closing the airport, nor opening it up to large aircraft making long flights, was supported by the community.
In his report to the council, QLDC strategic projects manager Paul Speedy said the community’s preferred option required no immediate work beyond what was already happening to make the airport compliant with Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) certification requirements.
"Wānaka Airport is at a pivotal moment in its development," he said. "Regulatory, operational and community drivers have converged to require both immediate operational planning and a longer-term strategic direction."
The airport’s "master plan" was last updated in 2008.
Then three years ago, the CAA formally notified the council the airport had become so busy it had surpassed the threshold for uncertified operations triggering mandatory safety, operational and management upgrades.
And then last year, Sounds Air services departed Wānaka, leaving the airport with no scheduled flights to other centres "intensifying community interest in the airport’s future". In its latest long-term plan, the QLDC committed to making sure the community would "directly shape airport decisions given the airport’s strategic role in connectivity, economic resilience, emergency response and the local aviation sector", he said.
As a result, it brought Egis on board.
Egis aviation lead Kerr Forbes said five scenarios were presented to the community.
The results indicated "scenario three" was the most supported, in which the airport would be a general aviation airport with domestic routes to Christchurch or Wellington, or both.
It received 654 votes for and 358 votes against.
Egis reported its community consultation was under way as Sounds Air announced it was no longer operating flights from Wānaka to Christchurch due to a rise in costs and noted one of the main uses for the Sounds Air connection was medical travel.
Wānaka Airport provided 200 jobs and was at present subsidised by the Queenstown Lakes District Council and operated by Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC), the Egis report said.
Egis recommended the next stage following the recent review was to commission a master plan for the airport.
It also recommended that the master plan included input from local aviation and non-aviation businesses and enable the growth of local aviation operations.
Mr Speedy’s report said the recommended scenario could be implemented through current funding under the long-term plan and annual plan.
It called for councillors to direct staff to report back to the council with options to create a new master plan for the airport that facilitated the chosen scenario.
