November 21, 2024 • 8 mins
More long-haul widebody planes will be able to operate at Wellington Airport following upgraded safety zones on its runway.
It could mean Wellington could see direct flights to the United States and Asia for the first time ever.
The energy-absorbing blocks at each end of the runway are part of a $500 million upgrade plan announced by the airport today, which includes terminal upgrades and community areas on airport-owned land near Lyall Bay.
Wellington Airport chief executive Matt Clarke joined Nick Mills to discuss the plans.
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks at.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
B right talking about airports. We're talking about the news
that's just come out Wellington Airport. I believe in hoping
and are planning to actually invest a whole lot of
money and label us to fly from Wellington to la
at four o'clock this afternoon. Online is the CEO, Matt Clark.
Good morning, Matty, Nick.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:34):
I'm good? Thank you. This is pretty damn exciting news.
Is it a reality?
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Of course it is.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
You know, we're very excited about it. I think it's
something we've been working on for a long time with
our airline partners and we've got a great list of
investments that we're looking to undertake over the next five years.
And now we're very excited about it and it's great
to finally be able to come out and talk about it.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Okay, is this as good as an airport extension?
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Well, effectively it is one.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
So I think as you've seen in the news, you know,
the new technology that's become available over the last few
years and the way of effectively enhancing the safety areas
around the airport mean that we can actually optimize the
space that we do have, and that produces a one
hundred and two metter extension to the effective length of
(01:26):
the runway.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
So it's all good news for us.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
You know, I've been saying in jest that this afternoon,
if this has or had gone to plan and is
going ahead, that I could be flying out at four
o'clock this afternoon to LA from Wellington. Is that still
a pipe dream or is that a reality? And how
long would it take?
Speaker 4 (01:45):
I think four o'clock this afternoon is definitely on the
optimistic side, Nick, You know, even for me, you know,
that's far too so I think one of those things,
you know, you look at all of the I guess
the things that we need to do to achieve that.
So obviously, you know, part of it is the runway,
and I think we've you know, it's a fantastic step
(02:06):
forward that we've been able to solve that, working with
the airline pilots, with the airlines, the Pilot's Association, the
cub Aviation Authority.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
You know, we've still got a few regulatory approvals to
tick off to get that sort of but we've.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Really come up with a design that will actually solve
the runway part of that equation, then we see there's
the aircraft performance. So you know, we've been really fortunate
in the last few years that actually air craft manufacturers
have been able to make some massive advances.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
In terms of the range of aircraft from a runway
like Wellington's.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
We're quite lucky that we're very similar to that holiday
resort in France of Saint Martin, or the French colony
of Saint Martin, and so Airbus are very keen to
get performance off short runways sorted out, and we're very
similar to that. And so there's a Wellington specific a
three point fifty flight performance modification which can really make
(02:59):
things happen from Wellington's runway.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Matt, what sort of planes will be able to land here?
What size would would we be able to get into And.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
So with this change from the engineered material system, we
can basically have any of the twin engine modern jets
that is going to be flying over the next thirty
years is going to be able to land here. So
currently all of those aircraft can land here, apart from
like seven four sevens and a three eighties. Anything can
(03:29):
land here already, but the restriction I guess with the
runway length that we have is the outbound range. But interestingly,
with the new aircraft technology, all of the work they're
putting into extending the range in terms of extending the
fuel efficiency means that those new aircraft and the aircraft
that are delivered over the next few years, they can
(03:50):
all actually fly a lot further from a short runway.
So that means, you know, those direct NonStop flights to
places like Asia and the US so are rapidly becoming
a reality for us.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Right, let's talk about other things that you're doing at
the airport. I mean, you have to be living under
a rock of your haven't driven around and seen you've
started work on your airport where the golf course part
of the of the airport development. You're also planning on
doing a new multi level bar and care for huge
views over everything, which starts next year. You're looking at
doing stuff along Lyle Bay. I mean you're sort of
(04:23):
becoming like a community service rather than an airport.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Yeah, and I think that's what an airport is, you know.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
I think what's good for the airport, it's good for
the city, and I think it's really important for us
that we actually extend the reach of the airport.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
You know, We've we've got a.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
Lot of interesting things that we can do and we
just want to activate the community we've got.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
You know, you know all about Lyle Baynick.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
You know, I think we've been working together there for
a long time and it's it's a fantastic location. You know,
we've got the busiest surf break in Wellington. It's a
beautiful beach and we've long had a vision for that
area that we develop it and make it a really
awesome community place to be. So, you know, we've got
Southwood Gin Distillery opens this weekend. We've got a new
waterfront bakery cafe that's opening.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
We're working with the council trying to.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
Get a boardwalk and to really develop that whole waterfront area.
It's probably the slowest development that we've got on the books,
is we're trying to do with the council because we
need them to agree to actually sell us some land
to develop that boardwalk. But we're getting there with them
and that's going to be awesome.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Tell us a little bit about that, because I mean
I've got a little bit of inside information, but not
a lot. But see you've just said that you're trying
to negotiate a deal with the council to sell you
some land. Surely, with the finances of the way they are,
they would sell anything right now, including their grandmother.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
You would think so, you would think so. So.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
No, it's a bit of the waterfront. There's a little
slip there that's been held for a road reserve. It's
obviously cut off from the areas around it, so it's
actually not much use for a road reserve. So we've
proposed to the council that we buy that developed it
tended into a community facility. So we want to build
things like changing and storage facilities for the surfing community
(06:07):
and really make a public space on La Bay pretty
much next to the Spruce Goose in front of the
warehouse there.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Okay, so there'll be toilets and shower facility for surface,
which they've never had down there apart from an outdoor one.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Correct. Yeah, And that's what we're proposing.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
So all we need to do is we need the
councilors who support us to do that and sell us
that piece of land so we can get on with it.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Can I just quickly ask you whether that will affect
the dividends of the council shares. Obviously, our listeners will
be thinking that, you know, they save a little bit
of rates by you guys been making so much money
for them. I'm not saying for yourself that all the
spending will that effect if the sale doesn't go through,
Will that affect that?
Speaker 3 (06:49):
Not at all?
Speaker 4 (06:50):
No, No, it's in terms of that little piece of land,
it's very very im material. In terms of the airport business.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
I met more of all of them, sorry, man, I
meant more of the whole big project and all this spend.
Will that affect it?
Speaker 3 (07:04):
No, not at all.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
So we've got our financial modeling going out for the
next ten years and all of that that kind of
investment program, so that five hundred million in the year
a autical business and also in the commercial business, we've
got additional spend. All of that's been forecast outs. And
in terms of the I guess that there's no modeling
(07:26):
that indicates there'd be any need for a call on
sharehold us for that.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
How good? How good? Friday is a great day to
have some good views, isn't it? Isn't it? How good?
Speaker 3 (07:36):
I reckon?
Speaker 4 (07:36):
It's fantastic and I really hope it's the you know,
the inflection point for this Wellington narrative. You know, we've
you know, we've we've had an interesting year at the AFT.
We've had our best financial year. We've had just about
six million people pass through the gates here, which is
just about bordering on our all time record for passengers.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
And we've been hearing this negativity about.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
The CBD, about the city, about what's happening in Wellington,
and it.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Just seems bizarre.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
You know, it's a fantastic place down here and everything's
going so well, and it's about time.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
I think we just came to the change of story
on that. You know, love it, I love it.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
You're probably sick of talking about all the negativity and
all the people staring at the navels.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
Let's go out and do some work.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Love it.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Love the idea of us being a truly international I
think when we get international flights, we become automatically, like
the click of a switch, true international city. And I
don't think people in the city, anywhere in the city
would realize how big a difference it would make. Matt
always good to talk to you, have a great weekend.
Appreciate your time.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
Thank you, Nick, I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Matt Clark, their CEO of Wellington Airport. It is a
positive story, isn't it. No you love a positive story.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news talks It'd Be Wellington from nine to am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks at.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
B right talking about airports. We're talking about the news
that's just come out Wellington Airport. I believe in hoping
and are planning to actually invest a whole lot of
money and label us to fly from Wellington to la
at four o'clock this afternoon. Online is the CEO, Matt Clark.
Good morning, Matty, Nick.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:34):
I'm good? Thank you. This is pretty damn exciting news.
Is it a reality?
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Of course it is.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
You know, we're very excited about it. I think it's
something we've been working on for a long time with
our airline partners and we've got a great list of
investments that we're looking to undertake over the next five years.
And now we're very excited about it and it's great
to finally be able to come out and talk about it.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Okay, is this as good as an airport extension?
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Well, effectively it is one.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
So I think as you've seen in the news, you know,
the new technology that's become available over the last few
years and the way of effectively enhancing the safety areas
around the airport mean that we can actually optimize the
space that we do have, and that produces a one
hundred and two metter extension to the effective length of
(01:26):
the runway.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
So it's all good news for us.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
You know, I've been saying in jest that this afternoon,
if this has or had gone to plan and is
going ahead, that I could be flying out at four
o'clock this afternoon to LA from Wellington. Is that still
a pipe dream or is that a reality? And how
long would it take?
Speaker 4 (01:45):
I think four o'clock this afternoon is definitely on the
optimistic side, Nick, You know, even for me, you know,
that's far too so I think one of those things,
you know, you look at all of the I guess
the things that we need to do to achieve that.
So obviously, you know, part of it is the runway,
and I think we've you know, it's a fantastic step
(02:06):
forward that we've been able to solve that, working with
the airline pilots, with the airlines, the Pilot's Association, the
cub Aviation Authority.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
You know, we've still got a few regulatory approvals to
tick off to get that sort of but we've.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Really come up with a design that will actually solve
the runway part of that equation, then we see there's
the aircraft performance. So you know, we've been really fortunate
in the last few years that actually air craft manufacturers
have been able to make some massive advances.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
In terms of the range of aircraft from a runway
like Wellington's.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
We're quite lucky that we're very similar to that holiday
resort in France of Saint Martin, or the French colony
of Saint Martin, and so Airbus are very keen to
get performance off short runways sorted out, and we're very
similar to that. And so there's a Wellington specific a
three point fifty flight performance modification which can really make
(02:59):
things happen from Wellington's runway.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Matt, what sort of planes will be able to land here?
What size would would we be able to get into And.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
So with this change from the engineered material system, we
can basically have any of the twin engine modern jets
that is going to be flying over the next thirty
years is going to be able to land here. So
currently all of those aircraft can land here, apart from
like seven four sevens and a three eighties. Anything can
(03:29):
land here already, but the restriction I guess with the
runway length that we have is the outbound range. But interestingly,
with the new aircraft technology, all of the work they're
putting into extending the range in terms of extending the
fuel efficiency means that those new aircraft and the aircraft
that are delivered over the next few years, they can
(03:50):
all actually fly a lot further from a short runway.
So that means, you know, those direct NonStop flights to
places like Asia and the US so are rapidly becoming
a reality for us.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Right, let's talk about other things that you're doing at
the airport. I mean, you have to be living under
a rock of your haven't driven around and seen you've
started work on your airport where the golf course part
of the of the airport development. You're also planning on
doing a new multi level bar and care for huge
views over everything, which starts next year. You're looking at
doing stuff along Lyle Bay. I mean you're sort of
(04:23):
becoming like a community service rather than an airport.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Yeah, and I think that's what an airport is, you know.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
I think what's good for the airport, it's good for
the city, and I think it's really important for us
that we actually extend the reach of the airport.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
You know, We've we've got a.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
Lot of interesting things that we can do and we
just want to activate the community we've got.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
You know, you know all about Lyle Baynick.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
You know, I think we've been working together there for
a long time and it's it's a fantastic location. You know,
we've got the busiest surf break in Wellington. It's a
beautiful beach and we've long had a vision for that
area that we develop it and make it a really
awesome community place to be. So, you know, we've got
Southwood Gin Distillery opens this weekend. We've got a new
waterfront bakery cafe that's opening.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
We're working with the council trying to.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
Get a boardwalk and to really develop that whole waterfront area.
It's probably the slowest development that we've got on the books,
is we're trying to do with the council because we
need them to agree to actually sell us some land
to develop that boardwalk. But we're getting there with them
and that's going to be awesome.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Tell us a little bit about that, because I mean
I've got a little bit of inside information, but not
a lot. But see you've just said that you're trying
to negotiate a deal with the council to sell you
some land. Surely, with the finances of the way they are,
they would sell anything right now, including their grandmother.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
You would think so, you would think so. So.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
No, it's a bit of the waterfront. There's a little
slip there that's been held for a road reserve. It's
obviously cut off from the areas around it, so it's
actually not much use for a road reserve. So we've
proposed to the council that we buy that developed it
tended into a community facility. So we want to build
things like changing and storage facilities for the surfing community
(06:07):
and really make a public space on La Bay pretty
much next to the Spruce Goose in front of the
warehouse there.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Okay, so there'll be toilets and shower facility for surface,
which they've never had down there apart from an outdoor one.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Correct. Yeah, And that's what we're proposing.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
So all we need to do is we need the
councilors who support us to do that and sell us
that piece of land so we can get on with it.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Can I just quickly ask you whether that will affect
the dividends of the council shares. Obviously, our listeners will
be thinking that, you know, they save a little bit
of rates by you guys been making so much money
for them. I'm not saying for yourself that all the
spending will that effect if the sale doesn't go through,
Will that affect that?
Speaker 3 (06:49):
Not at all?
Speaker 4 (06:50):
No, No, it's in terms of that little piece of land,
it's very very im material. In terms of the airport business.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
I met more of all of them, sorry, man, I
meant more of the whole big project and all this spend.
Will that affect it?
Speaker 3 (07:04):
No, not at all.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
So we've got our financial modeling going out for the
next ten years and all of that that kind of
investment program, so that five hundred million in the year
a autical business and also in the commercial business, we've
got additional spend. All of that's been forecast outs. And
in terms of the I guess that there's no modeling
(07:26):
that indicates there'd be any need for a call on
sharehold us for that.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
How good? How good? Friday is a great day to
have some good views, isn't it? Isn't it? How good?
Speaker 3 (07:36):
I reckon?
Speaker 4 (07:36):
It's fantastic and I really hope it's the you know,
the inflection point for this Wellington narrative. You know, we've
you know, we've we've had an interesting year at the AFT.
We've had our best financial year. We've had just about
six million people pass through the gates here, which is
just about bordering on our all time record for passengers.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
And we've been hearing this negativity about.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
The CBD, about the city, about what's happening in Wellington,
and it.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Just seems bizarre.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
You know, it's a fantastic place down here and everything's
going so well, and it's about time.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
I think we just came to the change of story
on that. You know, love it, I love it.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
You're probably sick of talking about all the negativity and
all the people staring at the navels.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
Let's go out and do some work.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Love it.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Love the idea of us being a truly international I
think when we get international flights, we become automatically, like
the click of a switch, true international city. And I
don't think people in the city, anywhere in the city
would realize how big a difference it would make. Matt
always good to talk to you, have a great weekend.
Appreciate your time.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
Thank you, Nick, I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Matt Clark, their CEO of Wellington Airport. It is a
positive story, isn't it. No you love a positive story.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news talks It'd Be Wellington from nine to am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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