The argument between Queenstown and Christchurch airports about whether a new airport should be built in Central Otago rumbles on.
Christchurch Airport, which is behind the contentious Tarras proposal in Central Otago, has taken issue with commentary from its Queenstown rival about there being no need for another international airport in the South Island.
Queenstown Airport chief executive Glen Sowry last week warned the Tarras project would result in "over-tourism" for the area, environmental costs and additional strain on infrastructure.
He also defended Queenstown Airport’s capacity to cope with growth in airline passenger numbers.
Christchurch Airport chief strategy and stakeholder officer Michael Singleton challenged that narrative.
"Mr Sowry's claims there's no issue with airport capacity in Central Otago just don’t add up," Mr Singleton said.
"Queenstown Airport’s own numbers show a significant lack of capacity out beyond 2032.
"That will only get worse.
"This is the same problem Queenstown Airport itself investigated in 2018 when airlines called for investigation of new Central Otago airport infrastructure, and it remains the case today."
Dramatic expansion plans at Queenstown Airport attracted strong opposition in 2018 and the airport then changed course.
Its strategic plan out to 2032 is more conservative and the airport is committed to staying within noise boundaries.
However, the airport had "plenty of land" and its capacity constraints were the result of "community consultation, not physical constraints", Mr Sowry said last week.
It was also working on a master plan that would allow passenger numbers to increase by a third by 2032 and allocate "space for further expansion in the decades beyond that".
Mr Singleton said that did not resolve matters.
"Shortening planning horizons from the usual 20 to 30 years to eight years does not make the problem go away," he said.
"Instead of waiting for that irreversible problem to materialise, we are robustly exploring a solution now."
People were keen to come to Central Otago and this need would be met one way or another, Mr Singleton said.
"The reality is, if you don’t meet demand, it won’t go away," he said.
"Instead, passengers will fly to other airports and then drive to Central Otago — our experts’ modelling shows that could result in an extra 500,000km being driven on South Island highways every day by 2050."
Mr Sowry described the Tarras proposal as a large-scale airport capable of handling wide-body long-haul jets from Asia and beyond, operating around the clock.
That would ramp up visitor numbers to the region dramatically, but was at odds with community sentiment, he said.
"The communities of the Southern Lakes do not want their home to become an alpine version of Venice.
"Inevitably, passengers flying into Tarras would bypass Christchurch, which has successfully rebuilt a vibrant business community and tourism industry after the 2010-11 earthquakes."
Mr Singleton said Christchurch Airport was not distracted from its core business.
"We will continue our long history of planning for and meeting aviation requirements of the South Island, while maintaining our focus on supporting and growing our engine room of Christchurch."
