Airport hits milestone amid major works programme
In the early 1930s, the people of the Wakatipu Basin were excited by the possibility of connecting with the rest of New Zealand, identifying the disused Frankton racecourse as the perfect location for an official aerodrome, the airport said in a statement.
A landing ground licence was granted on August 14, 1935 and contractors were hired to level a grass airstrip.
From these humble beginnings, Queenstown Airport has evolved into an international gateway, world-renowned for its spectacular setting. It now welcomes more than 2.6 million passengers a year and has just started the largest infrastructure investment programme in its history.
Queenstown Airport Board chairman Simon Flood said it was important to recognise milestones of this magnitude, and to look back with gratitude for the foresight of those who laid the foundation for what we enjoy today.
"Airports are important places, and we are proud of our long history and the deep connection we share with our community."
Mr Flood said Queenstown Airport was built with entrepreneurial spirit and remains a vital enabler of social and economic wellbeing.
"We are carefully managing its growth to ensure it continues to meet the needs of the people and businesses of the Southern Lakes region for decades to come."
The land on which Queenstown Airport was established was used as a racecourse from 1863 until about 1920, and the first hangar was built alongside the stone grandstand from which members of the Jockey Club once cheered on their favourite horses.
Those buildings can still be seen from Lucas Pl today.
The airport's first terminal was a humble building, constructed after the Mount Cook and Southern Lakes Tourist Co Ltd began flying 32-seat DC-3s between Christchurch and Queenstown in 1964.
By the end of the 1960s, the main runway had been sealed and a flight services station established, enabling Hawker-Siddeley 748 flights.
Airport interim chief executive Todd Grace said the airport was about to embark on its biggest investment in a generation.
Mr Grace said Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) — funded by airlines using the airport — will spend about $350m-$400m over the next five to six years, starting with about $150m over the next three years.
First cab off the rank was the Australasia-first installation, completed March, of arresting beds at either end of the main runway to stop aircraft overshooting.
A major focus over the next few years will be relocating helicopter and light plane operations to either side of the main runway, and building a taxiway alongside the runway.
A new taxiway would help to get aircraft in and out of Queenstown more quickly and safely.
Helicopters will then be based north of the runway, where two operators have already set up, and light planes will be on the southern side.
There are also plans to upgrade the terminal's baggage handling and check-in facilities, relocate rental car carparks and build a new commercial building to house the airport's own staff as well as some border agencies.
From 2028 the existing terminal will expand south, with an expansion in floor capacity of about 25%.
Mr Grace predicted jets would get quieter while their capacity would increase.
He stressed that despite the airport's major development programme, the idea was still to grow incrementally.
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