ZQN

An update from Queenstown Airport

ISSUE 32 / JULY 2017

news

Lion spotting in Queenstown – the multi-national Ops team grabbed Warren Gatland for a quick pic on his way through the airport

Photo: Chris Walker

More than $1.3 million has been invested in new runway and apron snow removal equipment. New de-icing procedures also have been introduced to complement the recently grooved runway.

A range of parking and traffic flow improvements rolled out on 1 July to provide more options for visitors, locals and staff. These included more public and staff car parking, Tap ‘n’ Go technology for easy car park access and a new Park and Ride facility, which is already getting great usage and feedback so far.

For the past year the airport’s leadership team has been working on a 30-year Master Plan for Queenstown Airport. After a lot of homework and engagement with key stakeholders, three options have

Welcome to winterRecent winter weather signals a great outlook for another busy season.

The Southern Lakes region is blessed with four distinct seasons and the 2017 winter ski season is well underway with locals and visitors rugging up and enjoying fun on and off the slopes both in Queenstown and Wanaka.

We’ve been hit with some cold and very icy mornings over the last few weeks and the whole team has done a great job of keeping our visitors, the airport community and themselves safe. Early, cold starts to de-ice planes, runways, car parks and pavements have been critical to the reliable operation of the airport and I genuinely appreciate the effort of all involved in these important activities.

It’s been great to see the terminal abuzz with increased activity, including the swathes of red on a number of days this month as Lions supporters – and of course the Lions team – paid us a visit in droves. Our multi-national Operations team members were on-hand to grab a photo opportunity when the team did arrive.

We’ve also launched our “pop-up” offering in and outside the terminal by welcoming Spark, Taco Medic and Mons Royale to the airport.

Key focus areas in the lead-up to winter have included working with Qantas and Virgin Australia to support their regulatory after-dark flight approvals, building significant new parking capacity and ensuring the airport is as safe and efficient as possible in all weather conditions.

Colin KeelChief Executive

been landed which show the potential for a staged development of the airport through to 2045. The next step is to launch a significant community engagement programme at a national, regional and local level. The programme includes the airport community as well as a broad range of local and regional communities We’ll be unveiling the Master Plan options over the coming months and would appreciate your feedback to help shape the future of the airport.

Take care and stay safe.

ZQN news JULY 2017

Mons Royale pop-up

Patagonia director Alex Gimenez receiving the award from Hayden Lomax of Hawkins Watts

The Taco Medic team

Spark pop-up booth - operating from 9.00am - 7.30am daily

Tasty Tacos

Taco Medic is serving up delicious tacos in the forecourt from 1st July to 30th September. Outdoor heaters and leaners have been added to create a warm space to soak up the winter atmosphere. Open from 11am - 6pm. Check out their Locals’ Special - $1 off each Taco!

What’s new around the terminal?

NEW Mons Royale and Spark pop-ups

Wanaka-based outdoor clothing brand Mons Royale opened their first ever retail store this month. Located in the main concourse on the opposite side of the entry doors to the Spark pop-up, Mons will offer a variety of their latest collection of merino apparel.

Airspresso – airside

Airspresso has expanded its offering, completing a fit-out of its airside operations to better reflect the Airspresso brand, providing a unique mix of new and old food and drink favourites for international departures.

The ANZ ATM has been relocated and is now beside Paper Plus in the main concourse.

Patagonia Chocolates

Patagonia Chocolates has scooped three gold awards and four silver at the 21st annual New Zealand Ice Cream Awards.

• Silver in the standard ice cream category for their Blueberry & Frozen Yoghurt

• Gold in the same category for Mango & Frozen Yoghurt

• Silver for their Dark Chocolate & Macadamia in the Premium category

• Gold for the Mascarpone Cheese & Fruit of the Forest.

Rental Car Servicing Facility

Europcar took over the rental car servicing facility on Lucas Place, on 1 June. It services its cars and those of Thrifty and Enterprise.

With the new winter flight schedule, the terminal building will be open from 4.30am – 11pm and we have 24-hour security.

There’s been lots of movement within the terminal in the run-up to winter with some new pop-ups appearing to provide travellers with more choice.

Some of our permanent businesses have also had an upgrade and added new airside businesses to their airport presence.

Kapa and Travel Time

Kapa expanded their airport presence and opened a new airside store this month, continuing to offer a superior selection of their Kiwi arts, crafts and gifts. While Travel Time opened a new store at Queenstown Airport last week in the space adjacent to Airspresso, offering designer sunglasses, watches and jewellery.

Newly reinstated P2 drop-off only zone

Andi Rapley and Annie Gallaway show us how to ‘Pash N Dash’

That’s a wrap! New car parking and infrastructure changes complete

Combined with new purpose-built coach parks and commercial pick-up/drop-off areas, the new layout provides a quick entry/exit for rental cars and commercial vehicles, reducing the overall number of vehicles on the inner ring road by 40 per cent.

This has enabled us to bring back the free two-minute drop-off zone, or the ‘Pash N Dash’, directly outside the terminal. The new zones have been well received by locals. You can’t miss them, they are highlighted in bright blue as you enter the forecourt area.

Our extensive infrastructure works programme to improve traffic flow around the airport has come to a close with minimal bits to finish up in the forecourt area. These works included road widening and a new roundabout just inside the airport entrance.

In addition, we streamlined our terminal parking pricing with one price tier for both Terminal Car Parks A and B.

On top of that, 50 car spaces have been added to the 230-space staff car park by the St John Ambulance building to cater for staff now and in the future.

NEW dedicated coach parkFollowing the completion of the Stage 4 works, a new dedicated coach park at Chris Read Green has opened, with space for up to six coaches.

Planting and garden works will continue in the spring, resulting in a thriving, seasonal garden with lighting to create a relaxing green space.

For more details on the car parking options available visit queenstownairport.co.nz

Parking from $25 a day or $100 a weekWe have two terminal car parks for those wanting to park for more than twenty minutes. Named A and B, both car parks offer the same car parking rates and are our most convenient parking offering located at the terminal.

A&BTerminal Car Parking

FREE 2 minutes for drop-off onlyFor some visitors a simple ‘pash n dash’ farewell is all you need to say bye to loved ones or friends.

P2 Drop-Off Zone

FREE 20 minutes - Pick-up & drop-offThere’s no need to rush in and out of the airport as we offer 20 minutes’ free public parking in the designated pick-up/drop-off parking bays within Terminal car park A.

P20 Express Parking

From $10 a day or $70 a weekThe 11 seater Go Bus shuttle and luggage trailer runs every 30 minutes, on the hour and every half hour, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The Park and Ride is aimed at those parking for 2+ days and is located at Brookes Road (behind Mitre 10 Mega).

PARK&

RIDEPark and Ride

There’s now a number of car parking options available when flying from Queenstown Airport.

There’s something for everyone.

It’s Your Choice

ZQN news JULY 2017

Park & Ride facility now open

New wayfinding signage

The new airport Park and Ride facility is now open, shuttling visitors every half hour to right outside the terminal. Opening day on 22 June saw our very first customer bang on 11am and since then we’ve had hundreds utilizing the service. Our introductory pricing – 15% off regular pricing – is in place until 31 August 2017.

The facility is set to double capacity to 300 spaces in December, so with the recent changes and additions to the airport’s car parking offering, our overall car parking capacity will have increased by 70% in a 12-month period.

The new airport Park & Ride is located in a convenient and scenic location at Brookes Rd (behind Mitre 10 Mega)

Using the traditional Koru as inspiration, we’ve worked the design into our wayfinding on the pavements – in the form of painted Korus as guides – and incorporated the travelling lines into the new wayfinding signage and icons.

If you look carefully at the glass doors and signage, you can now see lines that converge on one common point, a union

Ensuring visitors can easily navigate their way around the airport in a simple way is key to creating a memorable experience. When travelling to and from the airport, people leave invisible lines and pathways as they go about their journeys. Lines that you can’t see. With our new wayfinding signage concept we’ve worked with the creative team at MakeBarDo and Sign It Signs to make the invisible, visible.

that we build together. This is a new concept for wayfinding; a more friendly, efficient and unique way of guiding people.

Tap & Go now available

Following the installation of new barrier arms, visitors now have the choice of taking a ticket when they enter the car park and paying at the paystation or use the Tap & Go service by tapping a valid credit or Visa debit card to the barrier machine on entry and again when leaving through the exit barriers.

Tap & Go usage is on the increase and it’s a convenient method of payment that our visitors – especially local residents – expect.

MATTERS! SAFETY

Just a reminder that we have 6 AEDs (defibrillators) around the terminal which are located:

• Opposite Qantas by the check in entrance doors (recently relocated from next to Global Culture)

• Aviation Security Screening• International Departure Lounge Gates 8/9• International Arrivals Customs Processing Area• First Aid Room Information Desk• Rescue Fire

New Civil Aviation Authority AppThe Civil Aviation Authority has introduced a new world first app to Wanaka and Queenstown’s aviation communities. The app is aimed at reducing air accidents stemming from aircraft running out of fuel, blocked fuel lines, and fuel that has become contaminated with water.

For more information visit the website: https://www.caa.govt.nz/avkiwi/index-3/

Keep up to date with ZQN news

@NZQNqueenstownairport

queenstownairport

Phone: +64 3 450 9031 www.queenstownairport.co.nz

May passenger numbers

+13%+18%+17%

International passengers

Domestic passengers

Total passengers

Passenger numbers for May compared to the same period last year

June passenger numbers

+7%+20%+16%

International passengers

Domestic passengers

Total passengers

Passenger numbers for June compared to the same period last year

ZQN news JULY 2017

Zeta and Belle, her handler

Farewell to Zeta

Corporate Jet Services expands

It was with much sadness that we learned that one of our airport family members has passed away. Zeta, MPI’s much loved beagle, was put to sleep due to severe and aggressive lung cancer.

Zeta was the first dog to work at Queenstown Airport and joined MPI in December 2013. She became an integral part of the team and loved her work and her human family.

Our sincere condolences go to Zeta’s handler Belle Phelon and the rest of the MPI team for their loss. Zeta will also be missed by our team and those around the airport community who were lucky enough to sneak cuddles with her when she wasn’t working.

The growth in private jet visitors means that Queenstown Corporate Jet Services has decided to expand the existing interim Corporate Jet facility. The new modular build adds another 60% to the existing floor space and makes for easier processing of arriving and departing passengers by Customs and MPI enabling a split of domestic and international passengers.

The build is an interim solution until plans for the development of a larger purpose built FBO can be implemented. The first jet to use the new facility for international arrivals was locally based jet CL300 registration N300NZ.

Teams from Downer, Beca and Queenstown Airport joined forces to host a site BBQ in aid of the Pink Ribbon Breakfast initiative to raise awareness of breast cancer.

Around 40 hungry workers, some in pink hard hats as a nod to the cause, turned up to grab a bacon and egg butty to kick start their day. Over $125 was raised for Pink Ribbon.

Pink Ribbon Breakfast Fundraiser

The QAC Streamliners - Kathryn Jolly, Andrew Gillespie, Dan Parsons, Bill Malone and Dannielle Dendle

Qantas and Virgin Australia are now able to provide after dark flights into Queenstown

After dark flightsAll four airlines operating at Queenstown Airport - Air New Zealand, Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Qantas - are now certified to fly after dark services in and out of the resort.

We recently welcomed Virgin Australia’s first evening flight on 23 June and Qantas’ on 1 July. For more information on the winter schedule visit.

www.queenstownairport.co.nz/stats

The sky is the limitOne of our much-loved Rescue Fire team and multi-sport stalwart, Gavin Mason, was one of the fastest firefighters in New Zealand to run to the top of the Auckland Sky Tower earlier this year. Which was a great achievement.

However in a twist of fate, not long after the event Gavin was diagnosed with the rare autoimmune disease Guillain-Barre syndrome; a disease that attacks the body and affects one in 100,000 people. The debilitating disease meant Gavin lost strength to about 80% of his legs. Thankfully Gavin’s had a great road to recovery and has just completed his fire service fitness test to re-join the team in active duty. To help raise awareness of Guillain-Barré syndrome some of the airport team are competing in this year’s Peak 2 Peak event held on August 12 – an event regularly raced by Gavin.

If you’d like to support the team – aptly named The QAC Streamliners – a Givealittle page is being set-up and the link will be posted on the ZQN Facebook page. In Gavin’s tenacious way, he’s planning to

participate again this year and wants to complete the course. For more information, visit the Guillain-Barré Syndrome Support Group NZ Trust’s website http://www.gbsnz.org.nz/

ISSUE 32 / JULY 2017

WKA news JUL 2017

Ivan Krippner enjoying some hang time

Ralph Fegan and Peter Griffiths

WKAnews

Wanaka Airport’s very own aerobatics pilot Ivan Krippner has been selected to be part of an Australian-based aerobatics team who perform at airshows around the world. Ivan is owner of U-Fly and Southern Lakes Learn To Fly with wife Kylie Krippner – a fellow pilot.

A two-time national aerobatic champion and six-time national title holder, he departed for Australia last week where he will take part in a week of intensive training to prepare him for his first upcoming show in China.

Krippner will be one of three pilots in the relatively new team who perform formation aerobatics, flying within a foot of other aircraft, and also performing solo routines.

The flying routines are similar to the Royal New Zealand Airforce’s Red Checkers or the United States Navy’s Blue Angels.

Who knew that grass could be so interesting and potentially life-saving?

Wanaka Airport, along with Queenstown Airport, is part of a world-leading trial into using expertly-crafted grass seed as a deterrent for birdlife around airports, helping reduce the risk of bird strikes at airports. The brainchild of leading Danish seed company DLF, project ClearSky uses a combination of grass seed and correct maintenance to achieve a sward (that’s growth to you and I) undesirable to birds. The main characteristic is that of an erect, spiky by nature habitat, which is too dense for small birds to tackle

Wanaka pilot takes to the world stage

World seed trial growing in Wanakaand too spiky for larger birds. It’s also completely harmless to birds and other animals.

Wanaka Airport Operations Manager Ralph Fegan met with DLF’s Turf Manager Peter Griffiths this month to check on the progress of the trial.

Peter says: “Wanaka has a unique microclimate and there’s no “one size fits all solution”, so the Wanaka trial is one of our preferred world test sites due to the cold temperate. It’s holding up really well to the frosts and is looking good.”

By having an effective habitat management plan in place at an airport, you not only reduce the risk of bird strikes, but also reduce maintenance costs. It really can save lives.