Post by kiwithrottlejockey on May 1, 2016 14:13:12 GMT 12
from Radio NZ News....
First night flight touches down in Queenstown
12:47PM - Sunday, 01 May 2016
AIR NEW ZEALAND has successfully landed its first night flight in Queenstown, following a $20 million upgrade of the runway.
Work on the runway started last November, despite some pilot's concerns' the upgrades didn't go far enough for safety.
Last night, Air New Zealand successfully operated the first evening flight into Queenstown.
Partial evening flights will start at the end of May, while the full schedule will take effect in July.
Air New Zealand said the new service would bring significant benefits to the Central Otago economy.
www.radionz.co.nz/news/bites/302746/first-night-flight-touches-down-in-queenstown
from Mountain Scene....
Airways night flights video
By PAUL TAYLOR | Sunday, 01 May 2016
Tourism boom: Queenstown Airport has night flights on the radar to cope with demand.
AIRWAYS NEW ZEALAND has released a video showing Queenstown Airport's night flights lights.
The new runway, taxiway, approach and apron lights have been extensively tested over the past week.
And Air New Zealand continues to run after-sunset test flights into the resort, with two last night at about 6.45pm and 8.45pm.
Two more are expected tomorrow evening, with the latest taking off from Queenstown and landing here at about 8.20pm.
Jetstar will operate a trans-Tasman daily winter evening service, between Melbourne and Queenstown, from late June.
Air NZ plan a Auckland evening service from July. Both are subject to regulatory approval.
The $1.65 million airfield lighting project managed by air navigation service provider Airways New Zealand is part of a wider $19.6m airport runway infrastructure upgrade.
The lights were turned on and tested after dark on Wednesday for the first time, via a helicopter with Airways' flight inspectors and specialist testing equipment on board.
About 200 lights have been installed or repositioned, including Precision Approach Path Indicator lights (PAPI) lights, and touchdown approach, runway centreline, runway edge and threshold lights.
Industry standard LED (light emitting diode) lights have been installed — key benefits being brightness, resiliency, reduced maintenance and power savings.
Both the runway and airfield lighting upgrades were key conditions set by New Zealand's CAA and Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) when approving the airport's evening flights safety case in 2014.
The runway works, carried out over the past six months in parallel with the lighting upgrade, has involved widening the runway from 30m to 45m and resurfacing it with a 110mm asphalt overlay.
www.scene.co.nz/airways-night-flights-video/328235a1.page
