NZ | Airports + Aviation News

[Davee]

Hey does this mean that Wellington may get a new airport that could handle bigger planes, then they could close down the current WIA?

[KIWIKAAS]

Nope

The runways at Paraparumu are even shorter than Wellington's. Plus the airfield is surrounded by residential area so there's no way to lengthen the runways.
The terminal is more a utillities centre than a passenger terminal.

The terminal would be used for small airlines, aviation training, aircraft maintenance and as a place for air logistics companies, Mr Robinson said.

[Davee]

Is WGN destined for short and mid haul flights then, or do you think they could develop a new International airport somewhere else?

Perhaps it's better to just have 2 major international airports for NZ - one on the north and south islands! What do you think?

[Kane007]

I thought that flying into the old Hong Kong Airport was exciting, but coming (and going) into Wellington was far more hair raising.

[KIWIKAAS]

Originally Posted by DavidEugene

Is WGN destined for short and mid haul flights then, or do you think they could develop a new International airport somewhere else?

Perhaps it's better to just have 2 major international airports for NZ - one on the north and south islands! What do you think?

I remember the Muldoon Govt looking at lengthening the runway south out into Cook Strait but nothing came of it. Now days it would be impossible to get resourse consent for such a project. WLG dosent need a long runway for it's operations. At 1900+ metres its long enough for flights to Australia and the Pacific and can handle up to 767 size aircraft. Thats plenty good.
I think having AKL and CHC as the 2 longhaul airports is just fine in a country of 4million.

[deepred]

Cost would be the biggest obstacle in any case, with or without resource consent.

Apparently some years ago, an attempt was made to drill concrete rods - designed to withstand the Cook Strait - to lengthen the south end of the airstrip, but the southerlies saw to that. The north end can't be lengthened because the hill approach would be too dangerous for the ICAO to handle. The runway has had to be lengthened anyway to meet ICAO requirements, otherwise airlines would have had to reduce their takeoff/landing weight allowances.

However, the B787 (and the A350 after that) is to enter service in about 2-3 years' time. According to data calculated from Boeing's fact sheets, it can take off from WLG's existing runway just like a 767, but can fly much further because of the use of lighter materials - far enough to fly direct to the likes of SNG, HKG and HNL.

[sth_Auk]

Auckland Airport video check it out.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=tEwsuQ_NXic

[KIWIKAAS]

Cool.
Would appear to be back in 2002/3 I think.

[Davee]

Air NZ to make changes to unprofitable Pacific routes

3.00pm Wednesday October 25, 2006


Air New Zealand will make schedule changes to some of its Pacific flights next year, following a review of non-profitable routes.

From April 2, the airline will suspend its Rarotonga-Papeete-Los Angeles services, which currently operate three times per week.

It will instead code share with Air Tahiti Nui on four of its daily Papeete-Los Angeles services to maintain links with London.

It will also reinstate a weekly non-stop service between Rarotonga and Los Angeles to keep links between the Cook Islands and North America.

That service will fly twice a week during the peak April to July season and possibly the Christmas to February period.

Air NZ will also code share with Air Tahiti Nui on a non-stop service between Auckland and Papeete four times a week.

Regular services between Auckland and Rarotonga will continue as normal.

Group general manager of short haul airlines, Norm Thompson, said that despite the historic links Air NZ had with the Pacific, it could not justify the current level of service through Papeete and Rarotonga from Los Angeles.

He noted Air New Zealand had been flying the Coral Route for over 50 years and the importance of visitors from the Northern Hemisphere to both French Polynesia and the Cook Islands.

Also today Air NZ announced changes to the days of the week it flies its Nadi to Los Angeles route.

It will fly three days a week and the other four will be operated by Air Pacific under a code share agreement, subject to government approval.

[aucklandman]

I took from the look out 747-419

[Kane007]

Auckland airport to build hotel to pay for upgrade

NZ Herald
2006/12/18

Auckland International Airport plans to develop a hotel within 12 months, as it increases non-aeronautical revenue to help pay for new runways and terminals.

The airport has set aside 180ha for developments including an expanded business park. The company expects to develop a four-or five-star hotel close to its international terminal and a lower-rated hotel nearby.

"We get strong cashflows out of our non-aeronautical business activities and that certainly helps us fund our aeronautical investment," said chief executive officer Don Huse.

"I would be pretty confident within the next 12 months we should have a hotel proposition lined up."

Surplus land at Auckland Airport gives the company scope to diversify that is not available to hubs such as Kansai International Airport in Osaka, built on a man-made island, and Hong Kong International Airport, mostly on reclaimed land.

Auckland Airport is seeking faster-growing activities because its ability to raise landing charges is hampered by regulation.

"From the airport's point of view, it's a good use of land, it creates an income stream that is not regulated," said Anthony Halls, who helps manage $152 million at BT Funds Management in Auckland, including Auckland Airport shares.

"It's appropriate that they diversify their income streams away from purely aeronautical revenue."

Profit at Auckland airport fell last year and 2007 earnings growth is expected to stall because of increased costs tied to its expansion.

Earnings may rebound starting in 2008 as the company boosts revenue from its expanded retailing and parking lots and capital expenditure slows, the company said.

Huse said: "Aeronautical investment is about 75 per cent of our total investment activity whereas it is less than 50 per cent of our revenue."

The airport is in talks with airlines including Air New Zealand about raising charges for the five years starting on September 1.

It plans to spend about $130 million a year through to June 30, 2008, on new aircraft piers, improved runways and expanding its terminals.

The airport expects to handle 223,500 airplanes a year by 2025, from about 161,000 now. Shares in Auckland International Airport closed up 2c to $2.21 on Friday.

[deepred]

Wellington Airport also has plans for a hotel, on top of the carpark. There was a design concept on Archaus' website, but at the moment it's undergoing a revamp so the pics are offline for the time being.

[Kane007]

At least you've had PICTURES. All we've had is a general outline on a map of the airport for 2035.

[deepred]

Direct flights to Asia get a maybe

By ROELAND van den BERGH - The Dominion Post
Wednesday, 13 December 2006

Wellington's bid for direct long-haul flights to Asia has received tentative support from Singapore Airlines.

Wellington International Airport is counting on the Boeing 787 to open a direct link to Asia, and one stop to Europe, from the capital when the jet goes into service in 2008. The 266-seat 787 will be the first large aircraft to be able to fly beyond Australia with a profitable load from Wellington's short runway.

Singapore Airlines chief executive Chew Choon Seng said that Wellington airport had approached the airline to provide the service, which would be considered in due course.

"It is not something to be ruled out, but at this point in time the demands on our resources are such that we are not ready to make a decision yet ... or able to consider any new (destinations)."

Air New Zealand has ruled out a Wellington service when it takes delivery of its four 787s from 2011.

Wellington airport claims the first airline to take up the route could make up to $13 million a year in profits.

A direct Asian link is a key plank of the Wellington transportation strategy.

Positively Wellington Tourism says a direct service would bring tens of millions of dollars in additional tourism and other economic benefit to the region.

Singapore Airlines had no plans to fly the new Airbus A380 to Auckland, Mr Chew said. Production problems have delayed the superjumbo.

[Kane007]

Air NZ is acquiring 4 more of these Boeing 787 Dreamliners;

Air New Zealand doubles its order for Dreamliners
NZ Herald
2006/12/20

Air New Zealand has ordered four more Boeing 787-9 jets as it seeks further international growth and considers new routes.

The jets - which double Air New Zealand's order of the 787-9s to eight - have a list price of $1 billion but the airline said it "received a significant discount" because it was the second customer to order the 787 aircraft.

Dubbed Dreamliners, the 787s are Boeing's next-generation long-range aircraft.

Smaller than the 747, they are more fuel-efficient and are made mostly from carbon composites rather than metal. The first planes are not due to fly commercially until 2008.

"These new aircraft will provide Air New Zealand with a solid platform to realise its growth ambitions over the next decade," said strategic development manager Nathan Agnew.

He did not specify where they would be used, but said: "Given their capability to fly direct to regions like South Africa, India, South America, Asia and deep into China and North America, we will have some exciting new opportunities to pursue."

Air New Zealand said it was committed to launching at least one new international route every year and expected to announce a new route in the next few months. It reconfigured its long-haul routes this year to focus on North Asia, launching flights to Shanghai and flying to Europe via Hong Kong rather than Singapore.

The first of the Boeing 787-9s - which Air New Zealand says use 20 per cent less fuel than comparable aircraft flying today - will be delivered in 2011 and the last in 2013.

Shares in Air New Zealand closed down 7c yesterday at $1.82.

[GoluBoy]

Originally Posted by aucklandman

I took from the look out 747-419

*fsssst* Arghh,nothing like a cold "Steinlager" when you've finaly touched down saftely.

Reverse thrust 60% thanks co-pilot.

Ladies and gentleman!,I hope you enjoyed your longhaul flight *fssst* from London.May your disembarkment be a plesant *fssst* and safe one.

We hope to see you on Air N.Z again in the near future.

[deepred]

Air NZ looks at less legroom over Tasman
By ROELAND van den BERGH - The Dominion Post
Saturday, 16 December 2006

Air New Zealand could cram more seats into its trans-Tasman aircraft as it strives to compete against low-cost carriers Jetstar and Pacific Blue.

The airline launched a comprehensive review of its loss-making Tasman operation after a code-share agreement with rival Qantas was turned down by the Australian competition regulator last month.

Chief executive Rob Fyfe said a focus of the review was to determine if passengers were prepared to pay for the extra legroom on Air New Zealand aircraft compared with Qantas-owned budget carrier Jetstar and Virgin Blue's Pacific Blue.

Air New Zealand's Airbus A320 aircraft, and its own budget brand Freedom Air, were fitted with 150 seats, including a business class cabin, compared with the 177 all-economy layout on Jetstar.

The difference was a gap between seat backs of up to 32 inches (81 centimetres) on the national carrier and 29in on Jetstar. For an average adult, the reduced space was the difference between the knees touching the seat back in front or not, Mr Fyfe said.

The airline had to work out whether it was earning the additional 20 per cent in revenue to justify the 20 per cent more space passengers were getting.

"Or are we better to follow the lead of some of those other players and go for a much higher seat density, for example?"

Though increasing the number of seats would lower costs, the decline in comfort would also reduce income per seat if passengers were not prepared to pay the same fare.

Removing business class from all or some of the A320 fleet was also a key consideration in the review, which was expected to take till April to complete.

Large wide-body jets fitted with full business class were already used on peak business services between Auckland and Sydney and Melbourne. If business class were removed from the A320s it could require the return of a Boeing 767 service for early-morning Wellington-to-Australia flights to cater for business travellers.

More economy seats would also add capacity at almost no additional cost, which could be used to win more market share, or reduce flight frequency, allowing one or two aircraft to be dropped from the fleet, saving costs, Mr Fyfe said.

Air New Zealand has already announced an 11 per cent capacity reduction on the Tasman route between April and October in a cost-saving response to the failure to gain approval for the code-share.

Under the code-share the airlines would have combined services to reduce a claimed oversupply of seats that it was argued made the route unprofitable.

Mr Fyfe said no decision had been made about the future of Freedom Air on the Tasman route.

"We have a low-cost option and we have a full-service option.

"What we have to figure out is, based on the assets available to us, how we best deploy those, and that is what the review is all about."

Freedom had about a 20 per cent cost advantage over the main Koru brand, because of its exclusively online booking system, no free food on board, no airpoints dollars and no connections with other airlines.

Both brands share the same aircraft and have common crew and ground facilities.

[Davee]

Originally Posted by deepred

Air NZ looks at less legroom over Tasman
By ROELAND van den BERGH - The Dominion Post
Saturday, 16 December 2006

Air New Zealand could cram more seats into its trans-Tasman aircraft as it strives to compete against low-cost carriers Jetstar and Pacific Blue.

The airline launched a comprehensive review of its loss-making Tasman operation after a code-share agreement with rival Qantas was turned down by the Australian competition regulator last month.

Chief executive Rob Fyfe said a focus of the review was to determine if passengers were prepared to pay for the extra legroom on Air New Zealand aircraft compared with Qantas-owned budget carrier Jetstar and Virgin Blue's Pacific Blue.

Air New Zealand's Airbus A320 aircraft, and its own budget brand Freedom Air, were fitted with 150 seats, including a business class cabin, compared with the 177 all-economy layout on Jetstar.

The difference was a gap between seat backs of up to 32 inches (81 centimetres) on the national carrier and 29in on Jetstar. For an average adult, the reduced space was the difference between the knees touching the seat back in front or not, Mr Fyfe said.

The airline had to work out whether it was earning the additional 20 per cent in revenue to justify the 20 per cent more space passengers were getting.

"Or are we better to follow the lead of some of those other players and go for a much higher seat density, for example?"

Though increasing the number of seats would lower costs, the decline in comfort would also reduce income per seat if passengers were not prepared to pay the same fare.

Removing business class from all or some of the A320 fleet was also a key consideration in the review, which was expected to take till April to complete.

Large wide-body jets fitted with full business class were already used on peak business services between Auckland and Sydney and Melbourne. If business class were removed from the A320s it could require the return of a Boeing 767 service for early-morning Wellington-to-Australia flights to cater for business travellers.

More economy seats would also add capacity at almost no additional cost, which could be used to win more market share, or reduce flight frequency, allowing one or two aircraft to be dropped from the fleet, saving costs, Mr Fyfe said.

Air New Zealand has already announced an 11 per cent capacity reduction on the Tasman route between April and October in a cost-saving response to the failure to gain approval for the code-share.

Under the code-share the airlines would have combined services to reduce a claimed oversupply of seats that it was argued made the route unprofitable.

Mr Fyfe said no decision had been made about the future of Freedom Air on the Tasman route.

"We have a low-cost option and we have a full-service option.

"What we have to figure out is, based on the assets available to us, how we best deploy those, and that is what the review is all about."

Freedom had about a 20 per cent cost advantage over the main Koru brand, because of its exclusively online booking system, no free food on board, no airpoints dollars and no connections with other airlines.

Both brands share the same aircraft and have common crew and ground facilities.

We just flew ANZ CHC-SYD-CHC on a A320 and the seating was really comfortable - I think it is one of the great strenghts about the airline, is that you are not cramped in. We have just flown back to London on a ANZ 777-200ER and it was so comfortable - a real credit.

I think the new dream liners will be fantastic - I'm a real convert to smaller long haul aircraft.

[Marky Mark]

Originally Posted by DavidEugene

We just flew ANZ CHC-SYD-CHC on a A320 and the seating was really comfortable - I think it is one of the great strenghts about the airline, is that you are not cramped in. We have just flown back to London on a ANZ 777-200ER and it was so comfortable - a real credit.

I think the new dream liners will be fantastic - I'm a real convert to smaller long haul aircraft.

Yeah thats why I Flew Air New Zealand .... its quality that counts not Quantity

[Davee]

Originally Posted by Marky Mark

Yeah thats why I Flew Air New Zealand .... its quality that counts not Quantity

Ditto - Dido - what comes next?