Changes in the air transport sector have driven Whangarei District Council to undertake a study of options for Whangarei.
The WDC has decided to begin the earliest stages of a study into the future of the Whangarei Airport, the prospects of and problems with it remaining at Onerahi, and the possibility of relocating it to another site in the District.
The study follows on-going discussions with Far North Holdings and Northland Inc about the future of air transport in Northland. Far North Holdings have already undertaken a review of their airport infrastructure and short, medium and long term options.
“We will be calling for tenders from suitably qualified people to do the first phases of this study,” said WDC Group Manager Infrastructure and Services Simon Weston.
“They will report back to Council on problems and possibilities for Onerahi. At that point a decision will be made on whether to look for another location.”
Mr Weston said a number of changes affecting aviation in the past few years had a cumulative impact on the airport at Onerahi.
“Our sealed runway is the shortest commercial runway in New Zealand. It was recently decided that it was too short (under Civil Aviation Authority provisions) for the ANZL Beech 1900 aircraft to safely land and take off in all conditions. “Air New Zealand accommodated this restriction by bringing in larger Q300 aeroplanes which, because of their design, can use the shorter runway in a wider range of conditions,” Mr Weston said.
“Because these planes are bigger, they carry more people, meaning the terminal is much busier at arrival and departure times. That in turn raises questions about the terminal size, whether it is big enough or should be expanded.”
Mr Weston also said the airport’s location in the middle of a residential area caused some issued regarding noise and bird control.
If a new airport was to go ahead, Mr Weston speculated it happening around the end of the decade or in the 2020s.
