Wellington Airport makes economic case for runway extension

Direct long-haul flights are “arguably the most significant thing the Wellington region can do to realise its economic potential”, Wellington Airport says.

In March, the airport confirmed it was considering a 300-metre extension north into Evans Bay at a projected cost of $300 million – or $1m a metre.

Depending on the planning and consent process, the extension could be finished by 2018, airport spokesman Greg Thomas said yesterday.

“The economic benefit for the region makes a runway extension highly viable from a cost-benefit perspective, and it is likely to be a project that would justify both private and public funding.”

The extension would allow long-haul flights to and from Asia, and connections to Europe, with new-generation aircraft such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A350.

“The strong demand for long- haul is supported by a highly mobile and affluent Wellington market,” Mr Thomas said.

“Wellington has the highest GDP per capita in New Zealand, higher wages and a relatively low cost of living. These factors, coupled with the highest proportion of business travellers in New Zealand, being the capital and home of government, are a compelling proposition for long- haul,” Mr Thomas said.

Extra tourism could pump $44m a year into the local economy and create more than 300 jobs, while increased exposure to the global student market could create 1200 new jobs and $70m a year in regional benefits, he said.

Wellington City Council’s airport board representative, Ian McKinnon, said that although long-haul routes were desirable, they were not something you could “just click your fingers for”.

Mayor Celia Wade-Brown hinted this week an announcement over the proposed runway extension and long-haul flights would be made in July.

An Air New Zealand spokeswoman said the airline was always assessing its routes. “However, we don’t have any plans to operate long-haul flights from Wellington.”