NZ: Wellington Airport terminal expansion plans on hold because of Covid-19

Wellington Airport has put its terminal expansion plans on hold indefinitely because of the coronavirus pandemic, but insists the project will still happen. The airport revealed its expansion plans late last year, hoping to get the project under way within five years and spend NZ$800m over the next eight years. But a lack of passengers because of the pandemic, and a corresponding loss of revenue, has forced the airport to put part of the $1b plan on hold. It said the extension of the main terminal, which it planned to redesign to cater for both international and domestic flights, would be put on ice indefinitely while the pandemic played out. “Passenger growth and terminal build now depend on how long Covid-19 border restrictions remain, and how quickly passenger numbers return post-Covid,” an airport spokesperson said. The 20-year redevelopment is premised on passenger numbers doubling to 12m by 2040. It includes extending the main terminal building to the south, and using the old Miramar South School site and half of the Miramar golf course for additional aircraft parking and taxiing. The terminal extension would allow the northern terminal to be used for regional flights - instead of international flights - and the main terminal to be used for international and domestic flights. The plan also involves a range of other upgrades, including runway and taxiway improvements, new freight facilities, an expanded cargo hub, and a new fire station.<br/>