iscover
Queenstown Airport on New Zealand’s south island has recorded a 5.1 per cent increase in passenger numbers in 2013 over the previous year.
The picturesque leisure destination logged 1,215,526 passengers through its facilities in 2013 compared to 1,156,250 in 2012, a rise it attributes in part to strong growth on trans-Tasman routes to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne and added capacity and frequency from Air New Zealand, Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin Australia. The airport also recorded a 12 per cent increase in charter flights.
“The second half of 2013 was tough going for us in terms of domestic air travel but Queenstown’s appeal as a trans-Tasman destination remains very strong,” Queenstown Airport Corporation CEO Scott Paterson said in a statement. “Our forward schedules show a strong desire from the four airlines to continue to meet rising demand from our key market of Australia. We’re very grateful for their ongoing support and are working hard to ensure we have the appropriate infrastructure in place to meet this growth and maintain service levels.”
The airport plans to continue to upgrade its terminal facilities through 2014 and will have an interim corporate jet terminal operational by March. It also has longer term plans for a terminal extension to cater for increased international passenger numbers.
