Latest news with #QueenstownAirport
RNZ News
3 days ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Flight to Dunedin unable to land due to high winds
Strong winds have buffeted some flights around the country today including causing a rocky approach at Queenstown Airport. Photo: 123RF High winds have made it challenging for passengers aboard flights in some parts of the country today. An orange strong wind warning was in place for Hawke's Bay, from Napier southwards and the Tararua District until 10pm on Saturday night. A similar warning was in force until mid-afternoon for Southern Fiordland, Southland, Stewart Island, Clutha and Dunedin. And Wairarapa was under a strong wind watch until mid-afternoon. At least one flight had to return to Auckland on Saturday morning after being unable to land in Dunedin. Passengers said it was a rocky approach to Queenstown Airport because of the winds. It comes after a tornado hit Hamilton on Thursday night, damaging houses in Nawton including throwing a trampoline into powerlines. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Airport CEO reflects on top-flight tenure
His tenure having started unpromisingly with no passengers due to the Covid lockdown, Queenstown Airport chief executive Glen Sowry is leaving almost four years later feeling like he has ''done everything I needed to do in my tenure''. Mr Sowry - who is finishing in the middle of next month - said the timing of his departure was right as the groundwork had been laid for five or six years of development that would ''ensure the airport's fit for purpose for decades to come''. He said the airport was the only one in New Zealand ahead of pre-Covid passenger numbers, standing at ''about 112%''. ''And our dividend last year [$19.6million] was about 150% up on pre-Covid.'' The dividend returned $14.7m to the 75% majority shareholder, Queenstown Lakes District Council. Mr Sowry said when he arrived the board felt there was work to be done in terms of the airport's social licence. ''There'd been clearly plenty of noise and concern expressed in the period leading up to Covid around what the airport was proposing in terms of growth.'' He said he employed two strategies. Firstly, he had ''just an awful lot of coffee catch-ups and just listening to people''. ''It became very clear I'm not going to please everyone, but we wanted to understand everyone's perspective and ensure we had a balanced and pragmatic approach to how the airport was going to operate going forward. ''I like to think we've got that balance somewhere near right.'' The other strategy was a commitment to operating within existing noise boundaries, out to 2032, while the 10-year strategic plan was developed. The airport had also reduced its emissions by more than 70% since 2019. The largest contributor to this being the shift from a diesel boiler to electric. He said another highlight in his tenure, was the installation of arresting beds at each end of the main runway to stop aircraft overshooting. Mr Sowry believed they had ''a very constructive, respectful relationship'' with 25% shareholder Auckland International Airport — ''they certainly don't overreach'' — drawing on their experience and knowledge. A former round-the-world sailor, who was recently elected chair of the NZ Olympic Committee, Mr Sowry said he would remain in Queenstown, aside from some sailing in the Mediterranean. ''I've been quick to tell people I'm not retiring, I'm too young for that. I'm not just going to play golf.'' His successor Shane O'Hare, currently chief executive at Tasmania's Launceston Airport, will take over the role in September.
Otago Daily Times
26-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Qantas ups summer flights to Queenstown
A Qantas flight takes off from Queenstown Airport. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Is this good news or bad? More Australians are heading our way — crossing the magic million mark, as tourists from across the Ditch head to Queenstown. Qantas yesterday announced five additional flights from Australia into Queenstown over summer. That should push the number of Australian visitors to the resort for the year over the million mark. Between December 15 and January 26, the Australian airline will operate up to six flights per week from Melbourne to Queenstown — it operates four at present — and up to seven flights from Brisbane, which is three more than it now operates. Additionally, it plans to operate up to six more flights between Sydney and Auckland, up to seven more between Sydney and Christchurch and up to five additional flights between Sydney and Wellington each week during that period. There would also be up to five more flights between Melbourne and Auckland and up to three more between Melbourne and Christchurch. In total, it equates to about 60,000 additional seats compared with the same period last year. Destination Queenstown and Lake Wanaka Tourism chief executive Mat Woods said they had been focused on positioning the region as a world-class visitor destination for decades, and Australia was their most important international market. "It's great to see Qantas increasing its capacity directly into Queenstown Airport, adding to Queenstown's appeal as a great place for our Australian neighbours to visit." A Queenstown Airport spokeswoman said the additional flights would provide better connections and more options for local residents travelling for their summer holidays, and noted the resort continued to see "strong demand for transtasman flights, and more passengers per plane". In the 12 months to February this year, 981,033 passengers travelled on flights between Queenstown and Australia. Meanwhile, Queenstown Airport passenger statistics show it is already on track to have a record-breaking year. In 2024, 2,566,584 passengers moved through the airport. In the first four months of this year, 921,539 passengers were recorded, compared with 898,610 for the same period last year.
Otago Daily Times
24-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Airport fund has lift-off
Queenstown Airport partnerships and marketing manager Vanessa Hartnell with local NZ Deerstalkers Association vice-president Alastair Gay. PHOTO: SUPPLIED A new community fund established by Queenstown Airport has made its first distribution of $50,000 to 16 charitable organisations. The ZQN Community Fund will hand out this amount each year to empower charitable groups responding to the most pressing needs in the Queenstown-Lakes and Central Otago districts. Administered by the Wakatipu Community Fund (WCF), 78 applications were received for this inaugural distribution. The applications were assessed by a panel of representatives from the airport, the local council and WCF. Queenstown Airport's partnerships and marketing manager Vanessa Hartnell says "we had to make tough decisions, but the review committee prioritised projects supporting youth, families and food security — areas where we saw the greatest need". Alastair Gay, vice-president of the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association's Southern Lakes branch, says their $5000 grant "will mean more hunted game meat can now be processed and donated to local charities through KiwiHarvest". "This is a win for everyone, as less meat will be wasted and more families will receive great-quality meat, which is an expensive food item." Other Whakatipu recipients are:
National Business Review
15-05-2025
- Business
- National Business Review
Queenstown Airport appoints new CEO
An Australian with a strong background in international tourism and aviation has been appointed as the new CEO of Queenstown Airport. Shane O'Hare, who is currently CEO of Launceston Airport in Tasmania, will take over from departing CEO Glen Sowry in mid-September. Sowry is leaving at the end of June, so the airport's chief operating officer, Todd Grace, will fill in as interim CEO. O'Hare has held a range of senior executive positions in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, the USA, and Middle East, including appointments at Melbourne Airport, Qantas Airways, Etihad Airways, Royal Jet Group, and Star Alliance. He founded a regional airline, Seair Pacific Airlines, in Queensland, and has also served on the boards of Tourism Tasmania and Visit Northern Tasmania. He is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and holds an MBA from Bond University. In a statement, Queenstown Airport's board said O'Hare had led Launceston Airport through the recovery from the global pandemic and overseen key infrastructure delivery and customer experience projects, as well as record passenger numbers and network expansion. He also implemented a strategy to enhance non-aeronautical revenue. He was joining Queenstown Airport as it was undertaking the most significant capital delivery programme in its 90-year history. Queenstown Airport. Reputation for leadership "Shane has been responsible for multi-million dollar budgets and large-scale infrastructure projects, and has demonstrated a strong commitment to authentic community engagement. He comes to Queenstown Airport with a reputation for leadership and delivery in complex stakeholder environments," said chair Simon Flood. The calibre of applicants from New Zealand and overseas was "extremely high", said Flood. 'The board is very pleased to have appointed such a well-qualified business leader after a robust recruitment process. Shane brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record in the aviation and tourism industries, and is a people-focused leader.' O'Hare has family connections in the Southern Lakes, which he described in a statement as one of the most spectacular regions in the world. 'Queenstown Airport is a critical social and economic infrastructure asset for the region, and the country. The airport is entering an exciting phase, and I am very pleased to be joining the team, and I look forward to working with the board, executive, and wider team to deliver for shareholders and the community,' he said. The airport is majority owned by the Queenstown Lakes District Council, with Auckland International Airport Limited also holding a 24.9% stake. The organisation also manages Wānaka Airport and the Glenorchy airfield on behalf of the council. This is supplied content and not commissioned or paid for by NBR.
