$250,000 Wānaka airport study reveals nothing we did not already know

Analysis/Opinion.

A $250,000 report by French consultancy Egis, to be open for public scrutiny at a Wānaka council workshop on Tuesday next week (February 10) details exactly what the community already knew - they want non-jet services to Christchurch and Wellington.

The full report (see link below) has the by now familiar glossy charts, graphs and background notes (including the council’s previous humiliating and expensive High Court loss to public opinion) - but it’s difficult to see the value in the report apart from allowing QLDC to say “we consulted the community.”

Key takeaways are:

The community favours Wānaka airport to be retained as a General Aviation airport with direct flights to Christchurch and Wellington.
No jets
No international flights or direct flights to Auckland
It would be a good idea to make more use of the airport for community and civil defence purposes.
It would be a good idea for the airport to stop making losses and break even or make a profit.

Of course, theres one small problem that is not addressed in the Tuesday presentation. There’s no commercial flights at all - from Wānaka to anywhere - at the moment.

Sounds Air - could not make their Wānaka to Christchurch route work financially.

However the Civil Aviation Authority requires the airport to be upgraded to meet commercial operational standards in spite of the fact that commercial operators struggle, and so far have failed, to make routes out of Wānaka financially sustainable.

The report’s conclusion on profitability:

Egis survey report - 2026. Obvious perhaps?

Tuesday’s public workshop and the subsequent acceptance of the report by the full council later this month will no doubt have some value, if only to reaffirm what’s already known - but really - did it have to cost $250,000 when this knowledge should exist within QLDC and does exist with the team (the Queenstown Airport Corporation) that run a very successful and profitable Queenstown Airport for their 75% shareholder - QLDC?

The French consultants were commissioned by QLDC’s Manager of Strategic Projects Paul Speedy (who Crux readers will know from our 10 part Lakeview investigation) and the ubiquitous QLDC Corporate Services General Manager Meaghan Miller. Only 30 minutes is allowed for discussion next Tuesday at 11.40 am. One Wānaka resident is already asking if there will be another discussion session planned for those who work during the day.

Not a lot of time for public debate.

In terms of engagement the French team only managed to secure eight email submissions and 1,400 survey responses online - with under 200 people attending in-person drop in sessions over an extended two phase June to September period last year.