New $4 million building to meet 60% international passenger growth at Queenstown Airport

Airlines and departing passengers to the region are to benefit from a speedier baggage-handling service at Queenstown Airport as the next stage in a series of upgrades and expansions.

Construction of a 1470 square-metre building to house a new baggage make up area is to start on Monday (September 6). The $4 million-project is scheduled to open on December 7 and will more than triple the size of the existing baggage carousel.

Queenstown Airport General Manager Commercial Simon Barr said the development of the new baggage make up area was necessary to accommodate the increasing number of passengers passing through the airport.

“Known airline schedules indicate 60% growth in international passengers during the next year, together with a 10% increase in domestic. Our current facilities are designed to cope with passenger numbers of around 700,000 per year while we are actually expecting to reach almost 1 million over the next 12 months. Of those numbers, the airport is designed to handle 5% international (international passengers have a greater impact on facilities) and 95% domestic but our actual passenger mix is closer to 20% international and 80% domestic.”

Mr Barr said the new baggage make up area would remove impediments to growth at the check in end of the Terminal for the medium term.

“In late 2009 we expanded the check in hall to accommodate new airline services. We knew at that time that the baggage area would be the next area to come under pressure and require a solution. The speed with which we have been able to develop the baggage make up solution is a reflection of the very constructive relationship we have with our airline customers and security providers.” he said. “We are grateful to our groundhandling teams for their cooperative approach working in the existing, undersized make up area and are delighted that their patience will be rewarded by year end.”

The new building and carousel is expected to be completed in time for the new international Jetstar services into Queenstown which start on December 9 and Air New Zealand’s roll out of new A320 domestic jets from January 2011. The new international services and domestic fleet upgrade would be difficult to accommodate without the new building.

The project has been designed to take place with minimum disruption to existing operations with the new building completed and the carousel ready to use before an overnight changeover of systems.

“The airport is the first and last port of call for hundreds of thousands of visitors to the region each year. We are constructing an operationally efficient baggage area that will meet demand and also provide flexible infrastructure that can accommodate future growth or changes,” said Mr Barr.

Two tenders were run for the project. Baggage handling experts Glidepath will create the baggage system while Naylor Love Construction is to construct the building.