Wellington Airport

[thomarse]

The aviation fraternity have had better things to do than comment.

I wonder if Mr Burrell spoke to a pilot or two? On second thoughts, no I don't - he obviously didn't do so.

[Peter Lewis]

Feb 10, 2014 18:00:11 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

I understand that Auckland Airport's owners paid for and owns that road that connects it to the motorway,

Quite true.
If you drive around the Auckland Airport roads and look carefully at the street name signes you will see a little airport logo on each sign.
These are actually private roads, built and maintained by the airport owners.
The public only have use of these roads by grace and favour of the airport management.

Which leads me to another observation:
Several weeks ago I was at Auckland Airport, driving from the DHL area around the back of the big ANZ hangar to the terminal when I was stopped at a police roadblock.
They were checking drivers licences and registrations.
No problems there, both of mine were current.
But I said to the policeman "Are you aware that this is an airport road?"

In law, of course, you do not need a drivers licence or rego and w of f to drive on private land.
If you own a block of land - or are friendly with someone who does - you can drive on that land without the need for any of the licences, documentation or road use charges that are demanded if you drive on public roads.
After all, that's how motor racing tracks can operate.

Some years ago the AA management had a rush of blood to the head, bought thenselves a speed camera and were busy ticketing those who were exceedng the posted speed limit on their roads.
Of course, as soon as the first of these 'offences' hit the courtroom they were made aware that they have no more legal rights than your local bookshop.

I could understand it if the poilce had been conducting searches for wanted persons, illegal drugs or stolen property, but licences and registrations?

[Dave Homewood]

So what did the policeman say when you asked?

I love that story about the private speed camera. How stupid is that?

[saratoga]

They might have been there by invitation of the airport.Even if they couldn't legally ticket you at that location, i'm sure there would be a few cops at the point the airport road joins the public road.

[kiwithrottlejockey]

Slow movement on runway extension plan

The Dominion Post | 5:00AM - Monday, 17 March 2014


An All Nippon Airways Boeing 777 lands at
Wellington Airport. — ALEX LIU/Fairfax NZ.
(click on the photograph)

WELLINGTON AIRPORT is likely to seek approval for its $300 million runway extension early next year — and it could extend at both ends.

The public would also be able to submit their views as part of the resource consent process, which the airport expected to lodge early next year.

Wellington City Council, which owns about a third of the airport, would pay $1m towards the resource consent application. The rest of the airport is owned by Infratil.

Airport chief executive Steve Sanderson said the resource consent would help the airport nail down the cost of the runway extension, which would need external funding.

"There is not a clear business case for the airport to invest $300m. The rough order of contribution for the airport runs around $60m."

An initial economic study showed benefits from extending the runway. A further independent study has been commissioned by the airport to measure the economic impact for Wellington, the region, and New Zealand.

Extending the runway would allow direct long-haul flights to use Wellington Airport. Currently the additional fuel required to reach long-haul destinations means the number of passengers and cargo are restricted on flights beyond Australia. Mr Sanderson said it was expected that lighter, next-generation aircraft would be able to use Wellington's existing runway.

He had already been contacted by people concerned about noise and the visual impediment of the runway extension, including the Hataitai Residents Association.

"What we are seeing is aircraft are getting quieter. There will be a net effect of larger aircraft with more capacity and lesser volume."

www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/9834532/Slow-movement-on-runway-extension-plan

[kiwithrottlejockey]

Three green lights for landing…. — Photo: Wellington International Airport.


The ANA 777-300 is shown to its gate after landing in the capital. — Photo: Wellington International Airport.


Welcome to windy Wellington…. — Photo: Wellington International Airport.

[kiwithrottlejockey]

Delegation flies out on 777

The Dominion Post | 4:24PM - Tuesday, 18 March 2014


A delegation of high-powered Japanese business leaders leaves the capital
on a Boeing 777-300ER.

IT LANDED SAFELY and took off again. Will Wellington welcome even bigger planes in the future?

A delegation of arguably the most influential group of Japanese business leaders to visit New Zealand in 40 years left the capital on Tuesday afternoon following talks with politicians.

The businessmen boarded the plane about 3pm today.

The ANA aircraft was not fully loaded, so was easily able to take off into a brisk headwind.

Wellington Airport staff gathered on the tarmac to watch the plane lift off, along with hundreds inside the terminal peering out the windows.

The party of more than 40 made a high-profile entrance when they arrived on Monday morning on board a long-haul Boeing 777-300ER aircraft that flew direct from Tokyo to Wellington — sparking renewed debate about the runway length at Wellington International Airport and whether it will be able to accommodate fully-laden long-haul flights in the future.

They met with Prime Minister John Key, and were scheduled to chat with Deputy Prime Minister Bill English, and ministers Tim Groser, Craig Foss and Simon Bridges.

The Japanese are from a powerful business organisation known as Keidanren, a sister organisation of Business New Zealand which hosts a meeting today between the two groups.

Official statistics for the year ending December 2012 shows Japan was NZ's fourth-largest export market at $3.2 billion.

The Japanese delegation's next stop is Australia.

www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/9840928/Delegation-flies-out-on-777

[flyjoe180]

Did anyone see the C-130 tyre blow out that day? We had to go around because it left half it's rubber on the runway. Was on quite a lean after they managed to taxi it off into the western stub taxiway. A320 ahead of us had to miss as well. Most inconvenient.

[ErrolC]

It was mentioned on Twitter, and one of the spotter's blogs - MRC Aviation??

Sent via Proboards Android App

[flyjoe180]

Found it, thanks Errol.

[kiwithrottlejockey]

Airport gives expansion details

By HAMISH McNICOL - The Dominion Post | 5:00AM - Saturday, 05 April 2014


GETTING LONGER: Wellington Airport's main terminal is being extended 35 metres to the south,
at a cost of $62 million.

JET-SETTERS can expect bigger terminals, more car parks, a hotel and one main security check as Wellington Airport takes off on nearly $250 million of investment.

Yesterday chief executive Steve Sanderson made a presentation to investors at an investor day for listed-infrastructure company Infratil, which owns two-thirds of the airport.

It was also revealed the proposed 300-metre runway extension could land $534 million in economic benefit to the region.

The airport has previously discussed its five-year $250m spending forecast but yesterday Sanderson detailed the specifics of the airport's facelift.

The main terminal building was being extended 35 metres to the south, at a cost of $62m, and the north pier doubled in width, for $19m.

But added to that was about $30m in airfield engineering and apron work, where the aircraft are parked.

Sanderson said work was scheduled to begin on the extension in August this year, with the project going out to tender within the next month.

It would take about 12 months to complete, he said, and would feature one major security check at the entrance to the passenger lounge, as opposed to the current check at each gate.

"There will obviously be more room for passengers and bigger floor space for more retail as well."

The increase in capacity would enable the airport to achieve its forecast 6.3 million passengers a year by 2022, up 1.5 million on current levels.

Sanderson said there were currently 1900 car parks at the airport, but by 2030 this number needed to more than double.

To meet expected demand. new parking spaces would be built at a cost of $40,000 each and wrap around the terminal. The parking building would be raised from two to four floors.

www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/business/9908647/Airport-gives-expansion-details

[Dave Homewood]

So you can park your car in the terminal? Handy as.

[kiwithrottlejockey]

I would imagine car manufacturers/dealers pay mega-$$$$ per day to rent that space where they put cars on display inside the terminal.

Ditto at Auckland Airport.

[Dave Homewood]

Just like in the rest of their car parks.

[kiwithrottlejockey]

from The Dominion Post....

Airport to stretch south, not north

Both ends investigated

By DAVE BURGESS | 5:00AM - Saturday, 07 June 2014


RECLAMATION: Material dredged from Wellington Harbour could be used to reclaim land for
a southern extension of Wellington Airport. — Photo: DAVE GREENBERG.

A 300-METRE runway extension at Wellington Airport looks likely to get off the ground — but at the southern end, not at Evans Bay.

Airport spokesman Greg Thomas said extensions at both ends had been investigated, and that the southern option was "very much a possibility", though nothing could be confirmed for a few months.

However, several sources told The Dominion Post the extension would likely go south into Lyall Bay.

Thomas confirmed material dredged from Wellington Harbour by CentrePort could be used to reclaim land for the extension.

"Until our engineering assessment is completed, we can't confirm exactly what is required or what the detailed design to build the extension would be."

The airport announced last year that it was considering a 300-metre extension at the northern (city) end into Evans Bay. That was met by resistance from angry Wellingtonians, who subsequently formed Guardians of Evans Bay to fight the proposal.

Initial estimates put the projected cost of the extension at $300 million — or $1 million a metre.

Thomas said the final cost would be established after engineering reports had been completed, but the extension was still expected to be about $300m.

Infratil owns two-thirds of the airport, with the rest owned by Wellington City Council. Thomas said that, until the costs for the extension were finalised, Wellington Airport had not determined how much it would contribute towards construction.

"There is a very significant, direct economic contribution to the region that justifies both public and private funding."

Extending the runway would enable bigger, fully-laden, long-haul aircraft from Asia, with connections to Europe, to use the airport. It claims additional tourism generated by a single daily service to Asia would contribute about $44m a year and create more than 300 jobs.

Exposure to the international student market could further contribute $70m a year in regional benefits and 1200 jobs.

Last year Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce distanced the Government from the extension project, saying future growth and investment in the capital would not hinge on a longer runway.

It is unclear to what extent, if any, the city council would fund the project. But it is one of its "Eight Big Ideas for Economic Growth" and it has already provided $1m to help with lodging the airport's consent application early next year.

Guardians of Evans Bay chairman Richard Randerson said not having the extension going north would be good, but questions remained about the viability of the expansion idea regardless. "We wonder whether any extension has justification."

www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/10129508/Airport-to-stretch-south-not-north

[Dave Homewood]

Just keep stretching south and form a land bridge across the ditch.

[kiwithrottlejockey]

Jun 10, 2014 10:32:09 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

Just keep stretching south and form a land bridge across the ditch.

Not allowed.

There is an exclusion zone in Cook Strait where the power cables are.

You aren't even allowed to chuck a line over the side of a boat and fish in that exclusion zone, let alone dump fill into it.

[Dave Homewood]

If they built a land bridge to the South Island they could run the cable through that, surely. They would however have to rename the islands as North Bit of the Island and South Bit of The Island if they were joined together.

Auckland is joined to the rest of the North Island in a similar way...

[baronbeeza]

I have a story about digging up the cable and cutting into it. Check me out on the TV News, would have been about September 1976 give or take. The things you do when you are young....

[kiwithrottlejockey]

from The Dominion Post....

Airport runway to extend into Lyall Bay

By DAVE BURGESS | 5:00AM - Saturday, 26 July 2014


TAKING OFF: A computer-generated image what an extension to the south could look like.

WELLINGTON AIRPORT says the planned 300-metre extension of its runway is virtually assured of going south into Lyall Bay.

A runway "pier" using stainless steel covered piles, titanium plates, and a dehumidification system to prevent condensation, has been used in Tokyo in Japan and is under consideration for Wellington.

Special effects whiz Sir Richard Taylor believes a runway extension would boost Wellington's movie industry.

Airport chief executive Steve Sanderson said the first phase of the engineering assessment had shown that a southern extension was the most likely option should the project receive resource consent, and funding for the $300 million project is found.

"The works required for a northern [Evans Bay] extension have been found to be more extensive as there is around 40 metres of silt below the sea bed."

Extending the runway to the north would mean the silt would have to be removed or stabilised, adding cost to the project.

Sanderson said the second phase of engineering studies would begin next month and be completed in October to "confirm the geotechnical environment to the south, enabling the completion of a base design against which detailed environmental assessments can be undertaken".

The airport would release independent studies in September on the economic benefit to the Wellington region and to New Zealand, along with the viable routes based on current market demand.

Options on how the runway would be extended are also being worked on.

However, it is understood that Mitsubishi Corporation NZ is keen on duplicating, at least in part, the extension of the Tokyo Haneda Airport's runway D.

The Haneda extension was billed as the world's first hybrid structure using a combination of landfill and a pier made with structural steel tubes covered in salt-resistant stainless steel jackets. Titanium cover plates were used on the bottom and sides of the runway pier, with a dehumidification system to prevent condensation and add to the pier's lifespan — which is about 100 years.

Infratil owns 66 percent of Wellington Airport. Wellington City Council owns the rest.

Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown said she and an officer from Wellington Airport had met with Mitsubishi in Tokyo to look at the "innovative new system".

She described it as "a pile system with stainless steel collars ... so it allows the water to flow".

Sanderson said there was a groundswell of support throughout the region, with surveys showing that 85 percent of Wellingtonians were in favour of a runway extension to enable direct long-haul flights into and out of the capital.

Taylor, Weta Workshop's multiple Oscar-winning boss, was a supporter.

"Direct connections to Asia will undoubtedly facilitate greater business relationships for our creative industries as well as being a huge advantage for our city."

Victoria University vice-chancellor Professor Grant Guilford also backed a runway extension.

"If Wellington were a direct flight destination, it would be considerably more attractive to international students."

"Wellington is a great place to live and study and any move which makes the city more accessible to international students is certainly worth exploring."

TIMELINE

• September 2014: Release economic benefit and market demand.

• October 2014: Finalise engineering assessment.

• November 2014: Finalise consent reports, including environmental, urban and cultural assessments.

• November 2014: Public consultation.

• February 2015: Lodge consent application.

• November 2015: Possible consent decision.

www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/10312577/Airport-runway-to-extend-into-Lyall-Bay