Queenstown Airport chief executive Glen Sowry has not minced words in a statement released this morning (Friday October 6) opposing Christchurch International Airport Ltd’s (CIAL) plans to build a fourth international airport in the South Island.

CIAL recently released a feasibility study for a possible airport at Tarras which indicates it could support planes flying to and from Australia, the Pacific and even Southeast Asia. 

Read more: Flights to Southeast Asia from Tarras feasible

“It’s time to set the record straight”, Glen Sowry said, before outlining his objections to the Tarras proposal, and clarifying what he calls “false and unsubstantiated claims” made by CIAL about QAC.

No unmet need in Southern Lakes

Glen said CIAL is spending tens of millions of dollars “just to ‘explore a problem’ with no fixed outcome in sight”.

He said CIAL’s justification for an airport operating in Tarras - ten minutes from Wānaka Airport and over an hour from Queenstown Airport - is that there is an unmet need in the Southern Lakes region.

“In my view, it is pitching a solution in search of a problem. We can all agree that New Zealand is facing infrastructure challenges, but a shortage of airports is not one of them.

“The people of this region, who have few means to influence the project, have made it clear they do not want a flood of extra visitors. They want sustainable tourism, not over-tourism. The Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago district councils have destination management plans to deliver exactly that,” he said.

Read more: Tourism organisations oppose Tarras airport proposal

‘Setting the record straight’ 

Glen said CIAL has “made many false and unsubstantiated claims about Queenstown Airport” in building a case for its Tarras project, including that Queenstown Airport does not have room to expand.

“We have plenty of land and our capacity constraints are the result of community consultation, not physical constraints,” he said.

“We are in the process of finalising a Master Plan that will allow passenger numbers to increase by a third by 2032 and allocates space for further expansion in the decades beyond that. 

“However, that will only happen with the support of our shareholders and the residents of our region. We are listening to them, unlike Christchurch Airport, which seems to be ignoring the widespread rejection of the proposed airport at Tarras.

If this project is “foisted upon Tarras”, the communities of Central Otago, Upper Clutha and Queenstown will bear the brunt of the environmental costs and additional strain on infrastructure, he said.

Planning underway 

Glen said it is not true that no one else is planning for the lower South Island, adding that  Invercargill Airport will undertake long-term planning soon and Dunedin Airport will complete its 2050 Master Plan by the end of next year.

“It serves a larger population base than all of Central Otago and Dunedin residents are very keen to see the return of international services.”

Queenstown Lakes District Council has also said it will be consulting on the future of Wānaka Airport soon, he said.

Glen said Christchurch Airport was “strangely silent” on the international airport it already owns, which he said has substantial landholding and surplus capacity.

IMAGES: Supplied