Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 22, 2007 0:55:00 GMT 12
From www.stuff.co.nz/northland/3968449a1927.html
Airport proposal struggles to get off the ground
By RICHARD EDMONDSON - Whangarei Leader | Tuesday, 20 February 2007
A proposal to establish an international airport near Whangarei has drawn a sceptical response from Northland's largest economic development agency.
A consortium is investigating the feasibility of developing an airport alongside State Highway One at Mata, between Whangarei and Ruakaka, that would allow airlines to fly to short-haul international destinations using aircraft as large as Boeing 737s.
Enterprise Northland CEO Brian Roberts says having an international airport in Northland would help attract overseas visitors to the region.
However, he doubts whether Northland's population of about 152,200 would provide airlines with the passenger numbers to make regular international flights commercially viable.
Airlines had told Mr Roberts they needed a catchment of at least 400,000 people at other regional airports in New Zealand for scheduled flights to Australia to be viable.
Flights to and from New Zealand also needed to carry passenger loadings of at least 80 percent to break even, airlines had said.
Mr Roberts says an international airport at Mata may need to draw passengers from as far south as Rodney to be viable.
However, with the Waitakere and North Shore City Councils lobbying the Government to develop the Whenuapai Airbase as an international airport, the consortium cannot take the north Auckland market for granted.
"Basically, Whenuapai would be a competitor to this and a factor in whether the proposal would fly for international flights."
Mr Roberts says the consortium will need to mount a substantial business case for the airport or risk building a white elephant.
"Invercargill spent millions of dollars building an international runway and not one international plane has landed on it since it was completed three years ago."
Where the Mata airport proposal has merit is in providing Whangarei with a second airport capable of serving large aircraft on domestic routes, Mr Roberts says.
The existing airport at Onerahi cannot accommodate aircraft larger than the 19-seater Beech 1900D, limiting the city's potential as a conference destination.
Bay of Islands Airport, by contrast, is able to cater for larger planes, including the 50-seat Bombardier Q300, which Air New Zealand plans to introduce on some services at the airport in August
Airport proposal struggles to get off the ground
By RICHARD EDMONDSON - Whangarei Leader | Tuesday, 20 February 2007
A proposal to establish an international airport near Whangarei has drawn a sceptical response from Northland's largest economic development agency.
A consortium is investigating the feasibility of developing an airport alongside State Highway One at Mata, between Whangarei and Ruakaka, that would allow airlines to fly to short-haul international destinations using aircraft as large as Boeing 737s.
Enterprise Northland CEO Brian Roberts says having an international airport in Northland would help attract overseas visitors to the region.
However, he doubts whether Northland's population of about 152,200 would provide airlines with the passenger numbers to make regular international flights commercially viable.
Airlines had told Mr Roberts they needed a catchment of at least 400,000 people at other regional airports in New Zealand for scheduled flights to Australia to be viable.
Flights to and from New Zealand also needed to carry passenger loadings of at least 80 percent to break even, airlines had said.
Mr Roberts says an international airport at Mata may need to draw passengers from as far south as Rodney to be viable.
However, with the Waitakere and North Shore City Councils lobbying the Government to develop the Whenuapai Airbase as an international airport, the consortium cannot take the north Auckland market for granted.
"Basically, Whenuapai would be a competitor to this and a factor in whether the proposal would fly for international flights."
Mr Roberts says the consortium will need to mount a substantial business case for the airport or risk building a white elephant.
"Invercargill spent millions of dollars building an international runway and not one international plane has landed on it since it was completed three years ago."
Where the Mata airport proposal has merit is in providing Whangarei with a second airport capable of serving large aircraft on domestic routes, Mr Roberts says.
The existing airport at Onerahi cannot accommodate aircraft larger than the 19-seater Beech 1900D, limiting the city's potential as a conference destination.
Bay of Islands Airport, by contrast, is able to cater for larger planes, including the 50-seat Bombardier Q300, which Air New Zealand plans to introduce on some services at the airport in August
