A plan to change the fortunes of the embattled Fiordland airport is one step closer.
Since its inception, Te Anau Airport Manapouri has run at a loss with shortfalls ranging from $217,000 to almost $320,000 across the last five years alone.
But owner Southland District Council views the facility as a “strategic asset” and hopes to set it on the right path.
Following the 2022 local government election, the newly elected Fiordland Community Board requested the council undertake a review of the airport, resulting in a working group forming the following year.
A report released by Great South last month recommended a business case be developed for the future of the airport — a move which has been welcomed by Fiordland Community Board chairwoman Diane Holmes.
“[The airport] is like a project and a vision that was started, but it was never given the focus it deserved in order to prioritise things and make it successful,” Holmes said.
“It’s never had a strategic plan.”
Holmes said there was a lot of progress being made in the background, with expressions of interest in tenancies for hangar spaces and a new cafe.
“We’ve got everything in a position where, excuse the pun, it’s ready to take off.”
At a meeting on December 16, the community board decided it would take funds from the Luxmore subdivision reserve to action a business case for the airport, which would need final approval from the council.
Up to $324,180 plus GST could be required for the business case, with hopes of completion within 18 months.
Despite the ongoing challenges facing the operation, consultation last year for the council’s long-term plan revealed the community still saw the airport as valuable.
The Great South report said the airport was a well-kept asset with a modern terminal and excellent runway.
It also noted that few airports around the world were economically viable based on aviation alone.
Some of the initial ideas for improving outcomes included optimising income from existing rental parcels, renting new parcels, and creating new homes in airport hangars.
The airport was constructed in the 1960s by Mount Cook Air and purchased by the council in 2002 for $401,000.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
