Wellington Airport

[ngatimozart]

I'll have a look at the chart for Evans Bay and see what the depth is. The real problem I see is that by extending the runway into Evans Bay you change the shape of the bay and that has a significant effect upon the shoreline dynamics. This change in the morphology changes how the wave energy is dissapated and that is where the shoreline impacts become evident. The most well known impact is shoreline erosion. It won't just affect the area of Evans Bay by the airport but the whole of Evans Bay. Every time you change one thing on a beach or coast you will always have an intended or unintended impact elsewhere on that beach or coast. So unless you engineer it right you will have a lot ongoing expensive costs rectifying damage caused by wave erosion. A lot of people in my field make a lot of money trying to fix engineers mistakes.

ADDITION: The deepest point in the proposed runaway extension into Evans Bay appears to be 16.5m although there is a 17.2m depth approx 100m directly west of the Miramar Wharf. Chart NZ4634. That brings me to another point. Is the Miramar Wharf still used to off load and store fuel from the coastal tankers? Because if so that may create another issue for the runway extension.

[kiwithrottlejockey]

Growing pains at Wellington Airport

Wellington Airport is going through a growth spurt and visitors
will see the changes from next month. They include a new
ramp to improve vehicle flows and a bigger area for
dropping off passengers. Michael Forbes reports.

The Dominion Post | 10:54AM - Saturday, 10 August 2013


EVOLVING: An overview of Wellington Airport as it is now.

VISIT Wellington Airport late next month and you will notice plenty that is different about the place. Gone will be the need to do the much-maligned circuit of the car park to reach the main terminal.

Instead, visitors will be able to drive straight up a new ramp to the drop-off zone, which will be twice as big, with separate parking spaces for taxis and general traffic.

About 600 metres will be shaved off the journey for those who are interested in visiting the airport only to wave bon voyage to their loved ones.

The changes are part of a $5 million revamp of the main terminal entrance designed to unclog the traffic jams that can plague Wellington Airport when everyone in town is scurrying to catch a plane.

As chief commercial officer Matt Clarke explains, that scenario is all too frequent at present.

"One of the best things about Wellington Airport is its proximity to town, but one of the potential downsides of that is people tend to leave it pretty late when they're catching a flight. Members of Parliament tend to cut it pretty fine."

This is all well and good if you can breeze through town in 20 minutes and hop on a plane, but during peak times, many people find themselves stuck in a traffic jam that stretches all the way back to the roundabout at the top of Stewart Duff Drive.

In those situations, it is not uncommon to see people jumping out of cars and scampering across two lanes of traffic and the car park to avoid doing a loop of the terminal, Mr Clarke says.

"That congestion was driving a lot of issues that contributed to people almost missing their flights, so we had to do something."

"We looked at a few options. We could have bowled some buildings and tried to extend the [existing] car park, but that would have just pushed parking away from the terminal, which Wellingtonians probably wouldn't appreciate, given our weather conditions."

"The best option was to get people to the airport as directly as we could."

UNCLOGGING THE AIRPORT

By directing traffic straight to the terminal, the airport hopes it will solve its congestion issues.

"In the peak time, we have up to 20,000 people coming through the airport and you really do have to manage things in a very coherent way when you get that level of traffic volume," Mr Clarke says.

The problem is exacerbated by traffic from Moa Point, south of the airport.

About one-third of the traffic travelling past the terminal during peak times is actually taking a short cut along Stewart Duff Drive to or from Kilbirnie, he says.

The traffic jams can get so bad that motorists who have endured the painstaking journey to the top of the terminal find themselves leaving the airport to head straight back into the same congestion.

That makes things worse for the people coming from Moa Point, who find themselves stranded on Stewart Duff Drive because there are no opportunities to turn into the airport.

"So they're relying fully on a good- natured driver to let them in."

"But if that good-natured driver has already been held up for 10 minutes and he's only got five minutes left to check in for his flight, then there's not going to be a whole lot of good nature left in that driver."

In addition to the speedy new ramp, airport visitors will also soon notice new barrier arms at either end of Stewart Duff Drive — 19 of them to be precise, providing visitors with nine entrances and 10 exits to chose from.

But don't let those numbers scare you. In general, people picking up or dropping off will have to pass through only two barrier arms.

"It has been designed so there will always be more [gates] than required, even in peaks," Mr Clarke says.

"A lot of regular users, like buses and licensed taxis, will actually have radio-frequency IDs, so they just drive up and the barrier will raise automatically for them."

The new parking area will also increase the number of available parks from 1970 to 2200.

A GROWING AIRPORT

Given the pace at which the aviation industry flourishes, it is perhaps no surprise that Wellington Airport appears to be in a constant state of development.

Every five years the airport prepares a "master plan" to help it prepare for increases in passenger numbers. Its current plan looks forward to 2030, when about 10 million people are expected to pass through the airport's gates annually — double the number who do now.

Already in the works is the development of a new control tower, a $40m expansion of its main terminal, and planning for a $300m extension of the runway.

The airport is not just focusing on the essentials. It is also developing a 200-seat restaurant/cafe and a 2000-square-metre extension to its 12-store retail park in Lyall Bay, while planning for a 100 to 150-room hotel.

Mr Clarke describes it as an exciting time. "It is important to make sure all aspects of the airport are planned for, because Wellington Airport is one of the most constrained airports in the world in terms of the number of passengers we have per square metre. There's nothing that's not full of stuff."

The main terminal expansion was especially needed, he says, because it was heading towards the sort of congestion problems that were already present in the drop-off zone.

"The idea is to create more lounge space for domestic passengers. That will also allow us to rationalise where the aircraft fit around the airport."

The runway extension, too, while at least seven years from construction, has the potential to be a game-changar for the airport, allowing it to entice long-haul flights to and from Asia.

Establishing a direct Asian link has been predicted to bring an extra 35,000 overseas visitors into Wellington each year, injecting $44m into the economy and creating 372 new jobs.

International students could also bring in a further $70m a year and 1200 jobs, but at the very least, it will increase the operational capacity of the airport, Mr Clarke says.

"Last weekend some passengers had to be offloaded [from a Virgin Australia flight] because the wind wasn't strong enough for it to take off."

"Stuff like that certainly adds a weight of evidence in support of the runway extension. It's not optimal to have restrictions like that placed on the aircraft that are operating out of your airport."

GET A MOVE ON

Thankfully, some might say, one of the things you will not see at the airport any time soon is a sign telling you to get in and out in less than five minutes or it will cost you.

Last month, the airport bowed to public pressure and dropped its controversial plans to charge any motorist who spent longer than 300 seconds in its drop-off zone.

Airport staff did plenty of testing and were confident that five minutes was more than enough time to unload your bags and deliver a goodbye hug, Mr Clarke says. "It was more like three minutes than five to comfortably be dropped off."

However, the public disagreed, particularly those in Moa Point.

Rongotai MP Annette King got involved, meetings were held, and the airport was told, in no uncertain terms, that five minutes would be cutting it fine, especially after the barrier arms were installed.

"We were looking to make the airport much easier and safer to use, but people became focused on the, ‘Crikey, if we're not in and out within five minutes, then we'll have to pay’," Mr Clarke says.

"Really, we didn't want the change to be about that."

In the end, the aiport abandoned the plan and doubled the free parking time limit to 10 minutes.

It still believes that five minutes would have sufficed, but it is equally confident that a 10-minute limit will eliminate the congestion problem.

"If everyone parked their cars for 10 minutes, then there wouldn't be enough space to accommodate all the dropping-off. But we don't expect people to do that. We expect people will use the time well."

"We've looked at different airports around the world and we've got a pretty good gauge of what works and what doesn't, and we're very confident that this plan will."

"Rearrangement" of the parking area is an option if the congestion persists, Mr Clarke says.

And for those who do get caught out by the airport's new 10-minute rule, the news is not all bad.

Along with the parking changes, the airport has dropped the price of uncovered terminal parking from $3 to $2 for a 15-minute stay and from $5 to $4 for a 30-minute stay.

OUT OF TOUCH?

Wellington Airport is developing a bit of a reputation for changing its mind. The parking backdown last month was the latest in a string of decisions that have not gone down well with the public.

First there was the contentious "Wellywood" sign planned for the Miramar cutting, which Wellingtonians rejected en masse in 2011.

More recently, the airport backed down from its fight with the Commerce Commission over price increases.

Under a plan established in March last year, it intended to raise landing fees by 70c a passenger a year until 2017. Those fees are charged to airlines, but they are commonly passed on to customers through fares.

Airport management has also been criticised for not involving the community over plans to remove 22 houses from Bridge Street in Rongotai that border its runway.

The five-minute parking rule also appears to have been something of a final straw.

During talks with Ms King and community representatives, it was also agreed to set up a community liaison committee, to address the airport's poor record of community engagement.

So is Wellington Airport, which is owned by Infratil and the Wellington City Council, a bit out of touch with what Wellingtonians want?

Mr Clarke does not think so.

"Given the geographic location of Wellington, a huge proportion of Wellingtonians and their friends and families use this airport to come and go."

"That means with pretty much anything you do, even if we change the carpet, there's a lot of public opinion."

"Sometimes what is lost is that public opinion goes both ways. If you look at the history of the airport, we're pretty much doing a big development every few months, whether it's a new shop or a new control tower, and you can't get it right all the time."

"But we certainly work hard, too, and we do get it right most of the time."

He points to development of the main terminal 15 years ago, the airport's guarantee that its shops will match the prices of those in the city, and the development of its international terminal, known as The Rock, as examples of wins it has had with the public.

Wellington airport also does very favourably when it comes to customer surveys, Mr Clarke says.

It has the third-highest service quality rating in Australasia and is in the top quartile in the world for similar-sized airports.

"Even though there are some issues that people voice their concerns about, generally, Wellingtonians love this airport."

"It's probably the same for all public facilities."

"A lot of people use them, so they have an opinion. Everyone's a designer."

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT?

TEN MINUTES FREE: From late September, everyone will get their first 10 minutes inside the airport free, which is double what the airport initially proposed.

NEW DROP-OFF RAMP: You will also be able to drive straight to the drop-off zone without doing an entire loop of the parking area. The new ramp shaves 600 metres off the journey.

LOWER PARKING COSTS: The price of uncovered terminal parking will change from $3 to $2 for a 15-minute stay and from $5 to $4 for a 30-minute stay.

TWICE THE DROP-OFF SPACES: The drop-off zone itself will be bigger, with twice as many places to pull in than before. Taxis will also have their own dedicated lane.

NEW BARRIER ARMS: The number of barrier arms will increase to 19 and everyone using the new Stewart Duff Drive will need to pass through at least one. The airport says this will deter non-airport traffic from using the road to access Kilbirnie, easing congestion.

IMPROVED PICK-UP ZONE: There will be new spaces for collecting people from the separate pick-up zone in front of the taxi stands, straight out from the arrivals baggage area.

A TYPICAL DAY AT WELLINGTON AIRPORT

• Passenger movements: 15,000

• People flying long-haul: 1190

• Flights in and out: 274

• Vehicles in and out: Up to 20,000

• Coffees sold: 2000

• Sandwiches sold: 1500

• Newspapers sold: 500

www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/9026061/Growing-pains-at-Wellington-Airport

[kiwithrottlejockey]

Runway won't fly without city cash

By JASON KRUPP - The Dominion Post | 5:00AM - Thursday, 15 August 2013



WELLINGTON RATEPAYERS are likely to contribute a lot more than the $1 million they have already spent on the proposed airport runway extension, if it is ever built.

Infrastructure investor Infratil has confirmed it is keen to proceed with the $300 million project but only if central or local government pays most of the bill.

Speaking at the firm's annual meeting this week, chief executive Marko Bogoievski said the runway would not become a reality unless local ratepayers and taxpayers also chipped in to the tune of $200 million.

Infratil owns two-thirds of the airport, with the rest owned by Wellington City Council.

Wellington Airport is only prepared to pick up a third of the construction costs because it says the project does not stack up on a purely user-pays basis.

Rough estimates suggest a longer runway would bring in only $2.6m in aviation fees a year, based on 2500 passengers a week paying landing charges of $20.

On those estimates, it would take the airport 115 years to recoup its investment without extra funding.

Infratil has a strong focus on returning money to shareholders with a target of giving back 20 per cent after tax.

For the last financial year, its bottom-line profit was $3.4 million but its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortisation and fair value adjustments were $527.6m.

Infratil could also soon be sitting on an extra $450 million cash after listing a chunk of fuel retailer Z Energy on the stock exchange later this month.

To date, $1m of Wellington City ratepayer money has been set aside to fund half of the consenting process with the airport still assessing whether to extend the runway north into Evans Bay or south into Cook Strait.

City councillor Jo Coughlan, who looks after the economic portfolio, stressed a decision on more ratepayer funding would not be made until after resource consent was granted, which could take up to two years. "[The decision will be] tempered with the reality of how we are going to pay for it and the benefits it can bring."

Raewyn Bleakley, head of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, said she would be advocating for a taxpayer contribution.

The economic upsides of the new runway, estimated by the airport at $44m a year, would undoubtedly spill over into the regional economy, she said.

But central government's appetite for the deal is still unclear.

A spokesman for Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee said the matter had yet to be formally broached.

Mr Bogoievski said the opportunity to connect Wellington directly to Asia was potentially a lucrative one.

"The reason we're all interested in this is we know there are 430,000 passengers per annum who initiate a journey in Wellington who either hub through Christchurch or Auckland to go on to further international travel that could just travel straight down to Wellington in future."

Tim Brown, an executive at Infratil's manager Morrison & Co and who also sits on the airport company's board, said there were other important considerations that needed to be considered, such as finding an airline to operate the route.

As it stands, Air New Zealand and partner Virgin prefer Auckland as their international hub, while Qantas and Emirates use Christchurch.

Additionally, it was important to keep track of emerging technologies because "you [could] build a new runway and find in five years' time there's an airplane that can land on the [original one] anyway," he said.

Wellington City Council has cited the addition of a long-haul carrier as a key part of its regional development strategy.

If the project does get the thumbs up, it could be several years before the first sod is turned, and at least seven years before the first Asia-bound carrier sets down on the Wellington tarmac.

www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/9042979/Runway-won-t-fly-without-city-cash

[phil82]

SH1 does, indeed, start at Wellington Airport.

The runway extension has been talked about for years,and is currently likely to be talked about even more with a Green Mayor, Celia Wade-Brown, in office, because she is stark raving bonkers and has but a fleeting contact with reality. She leads, and I use that word in the literal term,a Council which recently held a meeting on a proposed flyover for the Basin Reserve and came up with a solution neither for nor against a flyover ....which was to do nothing!

The proposed runway extension will cost at least 10m and not the two million she's talking about, and in my view will never be built because they've been talking about for the last thirty years or so and have achieved SFA.

Of the two options, the Evans Bay end is by far the most logical as the southern, seaward end would be more difficult and open to the full force of the Southerly.

[phil82]

Jul 18, 2013 18:46:03 GMT 12 ngatimozart said:

I'll have a look at the chart for Evans Bay and see what the depth is. The real problem I see is that by extending the runway into Evans Bay you change the shape of the bay and that has a significant effect upon the shoreline dynamics. This change in the morphology changes how the wave energy is dissapated and that is where the shoreline impacts become evident. The most well known impact is shoreline erosion. It won't just affect the area of Evans Bay by the airport but the whole of Evans Bay. Every time you change one thing on a beach or coast you will always have an intended or unintended impact elsewhere on that beach or coast. So unless you engineer it right you will have a lot ongoing expensive costs rectifying damage caused by wave erosion. A lot of people in my field make a lot of money trying to fix engineers mistakes.

ADDITION: The deepest point in the proposed runaway extension into Evans Bay appears to be 16.5m although there is a 17.2m depth approx 100m directly west of the Miramar Wharf. Chart NZ4634. That brings me to another point. Is the Miramar Wharf still used to off load and store fuel from the coastal tankers? Because if so that may create another issue for the runway extension.

Miramar Wharf hasn't been used for decades. The oil terminal is at Seaview.

[kiwithrottlejockey]

Comment: Runway key to capital takeoff

By RAEWYN BLEAKLEY - The Dominion Post | 7:42AM - Monday, 23 September 2013

IN A recent speech, Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce suggested an extension to the Wellington airport runway would not solve all Wellington's economic challenges.

At the chamber, we agree. The runway extension is, however, an important part of the equation.

There is little doubt in the minds of most of the Wellington business community that there will be huge benefits for our economy from an extension, and that it is one large enabler to give it the kick-start it desperately needs.

Forget for a moment the rhetoric to the contrary and consider the work done by the airport company and others.

There is already enough demand to make bringing long-haul aircraft into Wellington a commercial proposition.

There are 415,000 long-haul passengers coming out of the Wellington catchment area every year which is more than enough to support a daily service.

Visitor numbers to Wellington are also growing fast. Most of these people have to transit through Auckland or Sydney — sometimes overnight — which adds to the cost, travel time, and inconvenience of their trips.

While the economic benefits from business connectivity, tourism and student spend, air freight, and time-savings are compelling, the full business case still needs to be made.

However, this cannot be fully determined until the consent has been completed and the cost to build the extension has been confirmed.

Decisions on how the extension would be paid for are for another day, after the business case has been made, and we will await that with interest.

Just how the cost is shared across shareholders, ratepayers in Wellington, ratepayers in the lower North Island, and taxpayers, will be important considerations.

What we do know is that long- haul flights will bring increased international business activity to Wellington and improve our links with the rest of the world.

Even more importantly, direct flights to Asia will help attract businesses to set up in Wellington and people to move to Wellington, and of course help retain them.

Then there are the tourists. New direct services will stimulate inbound travel and will be required, especially with the huge growth we will continue to experience from Asia.

There are also benefits for Wellington's international student business. Direct flights to Asia will help the city attract more students in search of quality, affordable education.

We are missing out here partly because of the lack of international connections. Being able to fly in from Asia and land just 15 minutes' drive from a university campus must surely be a selling point. From all these, the local economy will get the boost it needs.

No surprise that those who believe in the potential of the city and the region are crying out for an airline to establish a direct air service to Asia.

The chamber is of the firm belief that the government of the day will recognise the value of having this crucial piece of infrastructure in New Zealand's capital city.

BUT the runway extension is just a part, albeit a big part, of an integrated package of infrastructure projects that is needed for Wellington.

The extension is important but it is not a silver bullet. Investment in other infrastructure is also needed to improve the economy and help attract people and businesses.

The chamber's recently published manifesto for Wellington sets out the need for investment in the tourism sector. For example, a private-sector-owned convention centre, a film museum, and five-star hotel.

They are facilities Wellington needs, and they will attract more visitors, in turn increasing demand for flights and making long-haul flights even more viable. Everybody wins.

Further investment in transport infrastructure, both passenger transport and roads, is also crucial. The Government's roading investment between Levin and the airport will not just improve transport efficiency across the region but is clearly needed to provide better access to the airport.

The Basin Reserve flyover and the duplication of the Mount Victoria tunnel, in particular, go hand-in-hand with a runway extension. In fact, a second Mount Victoria tunnel would likely provide much of the fill needed for the extension.

But it's not just transport to the airport that needs investment. Wellington's freight sector is undervalued. Improvements in efficient and timely freight movements will benefit the region by reducing the cost of doing business, and attracting more business.

Improving road and rail access to CentrePort would be a good start, and that would help us take better advantage of the strategic location of the port.

All of these together are part of the integrated package of infrastructure investments that is needed for Wellington to move forward.

• Raewyn Bleakley is chief executive of the Wellington Employers' Chamber of Commerce.

www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/columnists/9197066/Runway-key-to-capital-takeoff

[kiwithrottlejockey]

If we build it, who will come?

Letters to the Editor - The Dominion Post | 10:00AM - Thursday, 26 September 2013

WELLINGTON EMPLOYERS' Chamber of Commerce chief executive Raewyn Bleakley's article about Wellington Airport needing a longer runway deserves comment (Runway key to capital takeoff, Opinion, September 23rd). The first rule of business is to ensure there's a market for what's intended to be built or made. How many airlines have said they'd use an extended runway for long distance flights? I haven't read of any. In fact, the biggest user, Air New Zealand, has complained long and hard about existing landing charges.

The 400,000-plus passengers outbound for long distance flights annually needs to be divided by the number of expected destinations. If this were, say, 10, that means each jumbo jet would at best be one-third full daily. Hardly a business case for a profitable airline.

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce seems to be better at sums than those seeking to have ratepayers stump up $300 million to advance their dream.

JOHN WESTWOOD
Martinborough

www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/letters-to-the-editor/9210757/Letter-If-we-build-it-who-will-come

---

Infratil should pick up the tab

Letters to the Editor - The Dominion Post | 10:00AM - Thursday, 26 September 2013

RAEWYN BLEAKELY has placed great faith in a runway extension bolstering Wellington's economy, but who's prepared to capitalise such a proposal? A case has not yet been established to convince anyone that the extension is essential. Air NZ is satisfied with Auckland as its international hub, and no other airline is queuing up for landing rights, so why should the Wellington extension be regarded as a special case?

Funding at the hands of the ratepayer is out of the question, which leaves the Wellington business fraternity in line to front up. All reports to date state one flight per day at most by an anonymous airline is all that can be achieved. Where's the return on investment on a "guesstimate" of $200m outlay? Who will carry the risk? Regardless of affordability and enthusiasm for such a venture, let Infratil who maintain financial control of Wellington Airport, go it alone.

STAN ANDIS
Strathmore Park

www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/letters-to-the-editor/9210768/Letter-Infratil-should-pick-up-the-tab

---

Runway extension is pie in the sky

Letters to the Editor - The Dominion Post | 10:00AM - Thursday, 26 September 2013

RAEWYN BLEAKLEY and the Chamber of Commerce have a poor grip on the logic and the facts of Wellington International Airport Ltd's push to extend the runway 300 metres into Evans Bay. Infratil and WIAL have no altruistic motives. Commerce Commission rules limit WIAL's profit to a percentage of asset value. Its greatest asset is land. More land means more allowable profit. And who pays?

Wellington City Council has a 33% shareholding, but is expected to stump up 66% of the $300 million needed (for an 18% share of the profits). That could add nearly $200 to the average rates bill each year. With debt of over $280m already, is this responsible government?

Grossly inflated claims of economic benefit in the BERL report don't stack up. Even the airline and education industries dispute the figures. It seems some naive councillors searching for the Holy Grail have fallen for a slick powerpoint presentation and are about to buy a pup from some big business wide boys.

STEVE MAHONEY
Te Aro

www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/letters-to-the-editor/9210770/Letter-Runway-extension-is-pie-in-the-sky

[kiwithrottlejockey]

Comment: Airport extension will affect us all

The Guardians of Evans Bay believe the true cost of an extension
to the runway at Wellington Airport will impact on every
Wellingtonian, writes Richard Randerson.

By RICHARD RANDERSON - The Dominion Post | 5:00AM - Friday, 27 September 2013

EVANS BAY is an iconic part of the Wellington harbour "blue belt".

Stormy days have their own wild beauty, while in sunny times the water is dotted with sails, recreational anglers hang out their lines, and swimmers, cyclists and walkers soak up the warmth and the ambience.

Pods of orcas and other fish cruise up the deep water channel by the Miramar wharf where an airport runway extension is now proposed.

In July, 100 residents from the eastern suburbs attended a meeting to express their concern about a proposal that will have a serious impact on one of Wellington's major natural assets.

The extension into Evans Bay will be both long and wide, as taxi-ing and turn-around space are also required. The height could be 10-12 metres above sea level, and with a water depth of around 17 metres huge quantities of fill will be needed, with consequent damage to the natural environment and fish spawning grounds.

This is not just an issue for the eastern suburbs. It will hit all Wellington ratepayers in the back pocket as they are asked to stump up $200 million (plus interest) of the estimated $300m cost.

But how firm is that estimate? Will it include changes to roading and other infrastructure? What are the cost implications for fuel tanker operations at Burnham wharf, right by the new extension?

The claimed potential benefits from a 2012 Business and Economic Research Limited report (BERL) are optimistic. Increased numbers of tourists are mentioned, for example, but for many overseas visitors Wellington is a "through" city rather than a "to" city.

Visitors largely start and finish their journeys in Auckland, Christchurch or Queenstown. Wellington's best strategy is to attract tourists to stop and stay longer in Wellington on the way through.

BERL also estimates that foreign student numbers could more than double from the present 4800 to 10,000. This seems a somewhat inflated figure to achieve by eliminating a domestic flight connection. The quality of what's on offer in the tertiary sector is the critical incentive.

A direct flight to, say, Singapore, could be useful for passengers to Singapore, or in transit to Europe. But for other Asian destinations Singapore would simply replace Auckland or Christchurch as the transfer point.

Given BERL's optimistic assumptions on passenger numbers, airlines might well be having doubts about load factors, especially if a new service undermined loadings to Auckland or Christchurch. Insufficient passenger numbers doomed the AirAsia X service between Kuala Lumpur and Christchurch.

In terms of aircraft operations, clearing the Newlands hill is already a concern for pilots, and an extended runway would mean heavier planes on a steeper flight path. Just recently 20 passengers had to be offloaded because of light wind conditions. It is entirely possible that advancing aircraft technology will allow larger planes to land on the existing runway without an extension.

Climate change is another challenge. Airlines offering heavily discounted fares tempt customers to take more flights, but in London recently plans to extend Heathrow were abandoned out of concern to reduce carbon emissions.

Of major concern is the question of who pays for the runway extension. Infratil, 67% owner of the airport, aims to return money to shareholders at the rate of 20% after tax (Runway won't fly without city cash, August 15th).

Tellingly, it added that it would not contribute more than 33% of the cost ($100 million) because the project does not stack up on a user-pays basis. Instead it is looking to ratepayers or taxpayers to come up with the remaining $200m.

The Government has said it is not a priority for government funding, which leaves Wellington ratepayers exposed to paying the bill.

With only one-third council ownership, citizens are being asked to pay two-thirds of the cost. The Wellington City Council has a poor track record in stewardship of ratepayers' money, having recently agreed to fund a disproportionate 50% of the $2m resource consent costs.

Adding $200m to the existing city debt of $380m is fiscally irresponsible for a project with very questionable benefits. Mayoral and council candidates are currently making commitments to contain debt levels and rates. Many are also making commitments to social housing, a living wage, improved public transport and earthquake strengthening.

These are issues of greater priority with guaranteed benefits for all Wellingtonians.

• Richard Randerson is the chairman of the Guardians of Evans Bay.

www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/9214352/Airport-extension-will-affect-us-all

[kiwithrottlejockey]

Hobbit sculpture unveiled at airport

Hobbit sculpture swoops into airport

By TESSA JOHNSTONE - The Dominion Post | 2:35PM - Sunday, 01 December 2013


EAGLE EYE: Travellers at Wellington Airport check out the giant eagle sculpture, thought pay homage to Gwaihir
the Windlord from the Hobbit. — Photo: Wellington Airport.

A striking new sculpture has been unveiled at Wellington Airport with promises of more to come tomorrow.

A giant eagle now hangs over the dining area of the second level, alongside the larger than life sculpture of Gollum.

Wellington Airport posted a photo of the eagle on Facebook and Twitter this afternoon with this tease: "A Great Eagle has just touched down at WLGAirport! Part 1 of 2, with all being revealed tomorrow..."

The sculpture is thought to be a homage to Gwaihir the Windlord, featured in The Hobbit.

Reaction online has been good so far — plenty of likes, and comments such as ‘Wow!!’ and ‘Love it’.

www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington/9463492/Hobbit-sculpture-unveiled-at-airport

[Dave Homewood]

Now that is awesome!

[kiwithrottlejockey]

Also on the Wellington International Airport facebook page, a 180-degree view from the upstairs balcony on the soon-to-open café on the Lyall Bay side of the airport in the former Wellington Aero Club clubrooms. Click on the photograph to view the full-sized image (2300 pixels width, as uploaded to Facebook by WIAL)....



I've heard a wee whisper from someone in the café trade that it will be opening before Christmas. The new café should be a great location to relax over a coffee (or a beer if it has a liquor licence) and watch the surfers (and kite-surfers) on Lyall Bay, as well as the aeroplanes coming and going.

[phil82]

Dec 1, 2013 18:05:12 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

Now that is awesome!

Dave, what is really entertaining when visiting the airport is the reaction of tourists. It has to be the most photographed bird around, and made just a mile or so away!

[kiwithrottlejockey]

Hobbit hype builds ahead of premiere

Flying Gandalf The Grey revealed

By MICHELLE DUFF and TOM HUNT - The Dominion Post | 8:32AM - Monday, 02 December 2013


UNVEILED: A striking second sculpture, of an eagle carrying wizard Gandalf, is now a feature
at Wellington Airport. — MAARTEN HOLL/Fairfax NZ.

TWO giant eagle sculptures, one carrying a likeness of Gandalf, have been unveiled at Wellington Airport as part of a huge promotion push for the latest Hobbit movie.

Yesterday, the first eagle, Gwaihir the Windlord, with a 15-metre wingspan caught the attention of travellers.

Today, the second eagle carrying Gandalf, was revealed.

Yesterday, airport visitors were in a flap over the massive bird of prey that appeared above the foodcourt.

"We think it's absolutely amazing — the person who constructed it is a creative genius," one visitor said, craning his neck for a better view.

The work was the creation of Weta Workshop and boss Sir Richard Taylor said today he was "thrilled" to be involved.

"What could be more suitable for an airport in Middle-earth than Gandalf the Grey atop a giant eagle swooping into the terminal, such an evocative image from The Hobbit and a fantastic and challenging project for our artists to design and build."

Its arrival heralds the second part of The Hobbit trilogy, The Desolation of Smaug, which opens on December 13th.

But a few select Kiwi fans will be able to get a sneak peek, with a charity screening being held on December 9th at The Embassy, with proceeds going to the Island Bay Marine Education Centre.

Tolkien fans are picking the eagle as Gwaihir the Windlord, the greatest eagle who ever lived, who features in The Hobbit.


FOWL SWOOP: A giant eagle from the Hobbit has been
erected at Wellington airport. Flight attendant Philip
Dunn cowers in fear. — ROSS GIBLIN/Fairfax NZ.

Air New Zealand flight attendant Philip Dunn was waiting with three other cabin crew to board a flight to Sydney, and then home to Christchurch.

He thought Wellington Airport was one of the best in the world, and that the sculpture added another point of interest.

"We just noticed it — it's really cool isn't it, it's lovely."

Leila Ceniza-Carr, 12, was admiring the eagle before catching a flight home to Brisbane.

She was a big Hobbit fan, and said it looked as though the eagle was flying out of reach of Gollum and his fish. "I think the fish are evil."

The Gollum piece was another Weta Workshop design, brought to life by Japanese fine art sculptor Masayuki Ohashi in October last year.

As the promotion for the latest instalment ramps up Sir Peter Jackson and Middle-earth have popped up in the swanky Beverly Hills hotel in Los Angeles, where four replica sets from the movie were built inside.

The Tourism NZ promotion was designed to attract another wave of American visitors to New Zealand.

SMAUG REVEALED

Hobbit fans can finally see the most-anticipated character in the movie trilogy, the dragon Smaug.

While Smaug has previously been glimpsed in part, his full body has never been revealed.

Ahead of the premiere of the second part of the Hobbit trilogy, The Desolation of Smaug, Air New Zealand this morning unveiled a 54-metre long image of the dragon on the sides of a Boeing 777-300.

Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon said the airline had worked with Weta Digital "to reveal their star to the world".





For the last premiere, the airline created another Hobbit-themed plane which carried stars to the Wellington premiere.

Director Sir Peter Jackson said he was proud to debut Smaug in New Zealand.

"To see Smaug fly off the big screen and into the skies like this is pretty exciting," he said.

The plane will fly to Los Angeles this evening, arriving in time for the premiere tomorrow.

www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/9463779/Hobbit-hype-builds-ahead-of-premiere

[Dave Homewood]

It's a pity some damned Harry Potter fan decided to climb up on it for that photo.

[kiwithrottlejockey]

[kiwithrottlejockey]

[Dave Homewood]

That Golum one last year was excellent but it was thoroughly creepy. The eagle is very cool. I wonder what happens to these things when the exhibition is over? Sir Peter's basement?

[kiwithrottlejockey]

Gollum is still there at Wellington Airport.

When they were hinting at new Hobbit stuff in the domestic terminal a few weeks ago, I was expecting they would take Gollum down.

But they have simply added to what was already there.

[Dave Homewood]

Oh wow, ok. I was thinking from that photo the eagle had been put in the same place.

[nzompilot]

Dec 1, 2013 19:14:56 GMT 12 kiwithrottlejockey said:

Also on the Wellington International Airport facebook page, a 180-degree view from the upstairs balcony on the soon-to-open café on the Lyall Bay side of the airport in the former Wellington Aero Club clubrooms. Click on the photograph to view the full-sized image (2300 pixels width, as uploaded to Facebook by WIAL)....



I've heard a wee whisper from someone in the café trade that it will be opening before Christmas. The new café should be a great location to relax over a coffee (or a beer if it has a liquor licence) and watch the surfers (and kite-surfers) on Lyall Bay, as well as the aeroplanes coming and going.

Did anyone else open this pic up full size and look at the Air New Zealand "mini" jet on the runway - rather interesting effect from the panoramic pic with a moving aircraft

nzompilot