Queenstown Airport breaches noise level limits

The Queenstown Airport Corporation has disclosed that it will break it’s own noise boundaries this year - but claims that it’s not the leading edge of ongoing problems with increased aircraft noise.

The breaches have been attributed to better weather than usual, in early 2025, producing a dramatic increase in general aviation traffic (helicopters and small fixed wing aircraft) flying to local destinations such as Milford Sound.

The airport says the release of the breach data does not stem from residential or commercial complaints but from their own monitoring of noise levels.

They also claim that a proposed new taxiway will allow the problem to be mitigated in the future.

In the meantime the smaller aircraft will be threaded into operations from the main runway, reducing the noise levels around Remarkables Park (to the south of the airport) which is mainly where the noise limits have exceeded agreed levels.

Here’s the QAC’s full statment:

“A minor breach of the boundary to the south of the airfield is expected for the 2025 compliance reporting period. This relates to helicopter activity and increased use of the crosswind runway by small fixed-wing aircraft. Exceptionally fine weather last summer contributed to record activity by the flightseeing businesses based at Queenstown Airport.

“Scheduled flights by jets and turboprop aircraft use the main runway, and their activity remains well within the permitted noise boundaries, with capacity for planned growth.

“Queenstown Airport Chief Executive Shane O’Hare said: “Immediate steps are being taken to ensure this does not happen again.

“Queenstown Airport takes its responsibility to operate within permitted noise parameters very seriously. That is why we are informing our shareholders and community about the likely breach now, rather than waiting for next year’s compliance reporting.”

• Queenstown Airport Chief Executive Shane O’Hare - “Immediate steps are being taken to ensure this does not happen again.”

“Queenstown Airport is working with general aviation operators and Airways, which manages air traffic, to reduce use of the crosswind runway. In simple terms, about four small fixed-wing flights a day during peak season need to be moved from the crosswind runway to the main runway for future compliance.

“To support monitoring in future, the airport is investigating tools that would provide more immediate data on noise.

• Detail of Queenstown Airport’s noise boundaries.

“Compliance with the noise boundaries relates to noise enabled by the airport and not to operating hours. The airport continues to operate within its consented operating hours.”

QAC uses noise compliance reports that are independently prepared and verified.