Hokitika Runway Extension

   

A longer runway at Hokitika Airport will provide an economic boost to the West Coast, the company says in documents lodged with the West Coast Regional Council. A resource consent application seeks to allow Hokitika Airport Ltd to extend the runway a further 544m to cater for larger aircraft, including chartered flights direct from Australia. “These flights will cost the airlines less as flight times are reduced, less fuel will be consumed, and flying over the Southern Alps causes greater fuel consumption.” The application said the cheaper flights would encourage more people to make the trip across the Tasman. “With the economy currently in a slump, local businesses are being hit hard with the reduced number of visitors to the region. The Canterbury earthquakes also impacted on the number of tourists flying into the South Island, this has a flow-on effect to the number of tourists who travel over the alps to the West Coast.” The Westland District Council’s ‘Vision of Westland’ is that by 2030 it will be a world class tourist destination and have industries and businesses leading through innovation and service. “The proposed runway extension is the first stage towards achieving this vision,” the airport company said. The runway extension would also enable the airport to be used to “its fullest capacity” in the event of a civil defence emergency or natural disaster. “Hokitika Airport is the only airport located on the West Coast that is not on low lying ground that can be subjected to floods, or within the direct vicinity of the sea, that pose a direct threat from a tsunami. Being located on high ground the airport becomes a valuable lifeline for the West Coast region in the event of a disaster.” The consent seeks approval to clear the northern end of the runway and to fill in the small gully at the beginning of the extension area with about 45,000 cubic metres of gravel, which would be compacted and prepared for the extension. The application said a small man-made drain that was built to drain water away from the runway would be diverted. “Water that is allowed to get under the runway will cause the runway seal to break up, causing a hazard to the users of the airport.” Hokitika Airport Ltd is currently calling for design and costing options for the upgrade, which will see the runway extended to 1856m to allow the larger planes such as Bombardier Q400, Boeing 737 and Airbus 320 aircraft to land. It says it expects work to begin by the end of the year and will take up to two years to complete.

Source : http://www.greystar.co.nz/content/airport-extension-economy-boost