Todd Grace: Queenstown Airport chief operating officer on the airport being named as the best in the country

Queenstown Airport is flying high, thanks to a surge in visitors.

It's been named Large Airport of the Year at the national awards - with judges praising its strong safety record, commercial success, and community engagement.

They were also impressed with its new end-of-runway safety system.

Chief operating officer Todd Grace says the airport's seen strong growth since Covid.

He says they're the only airport in New Zealand operating back past pre-Covid levels.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now New Zealand's best large airport is not Auckland, not Wellington,
not christ Church, Queenstown. Judges from the New Zealand Airport's
Awards said the airport had exceptional performance across safety, commercial
and community outcomes, and that they were particularly impressed with
Queenstown's new end of runway safety system. Todd Grace is
the airport's chief operating officer and with us Hello.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Todd, Hello here, how are you very well?

Speaker 1 (00:23):
Thank you? Congrats?

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Have you guys celebrated, Yes, we're starting to celebrate. I
think the team that were up in Blenham last night
may have celebrated into the wee small hours. So we're
going to do something with the team over the next
couple of days. But we're really pleased.

Speaker 1 (00:36):
Okay, so were you expecting it?

Speaker 2 (00:39):
You never really expected. And we're relatively smaller airport in
the large airport category, but you know we've done a
great job and you know we've grown back really strong
post COVID. We're about the only airport in New Zealand
that is back past pre COVID levels where it's a one
hundred and twenty percent of COVID. So and you know,
our customers love coming here, the airlines love coming here.

(00:59):
In the region has a lot to offer, So I
think we think we do a really good job.

Speaker 1 (01:02):
Yeah. So I love what you've done with some of
the new stuff and the new toilets that you've made
in the departure lounge. Is it looks really great. But Todd,
I was a little surprised because I was there on
Sunday and we were talking about how it's always chaotic
at Queenstown Airport. Why is it always chaotic at Queenstown Airport.

Speaker 2 (01:22):
Well, we do have these peaks in the afternoon, and
you know, we suffer from our own popularity, and so
we know that we've got quite a lot of work
ahead of us and we're really just at the beginning
of that. So some of the things that we've done
have been to improve the customer experience and get the
airfield working right.

Speaker 1 (01:39):
And you just need more space, don't you, Because you know,
you go to the screening gates, you go through that
weird like little rat race thing that you do, and
then you're like straight into the screening space and then
you're out the other and it's just so tight. Isn't
that your problem? Yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:53):
Well, we do. We absolutely need more space. And we're
probably one of those airports that suffered from about to
start something pre COVID and the world changes and we
come back from COVID and it all bounces back. So
we're just at the beginning of that and we know
that at certain times of the day it is tight,
and that's why we have a plan and we've and
we've worked through that through with airlines about how to
develop the terminal and how to grow more space. Infrastructure.

Speaker 1 (02:16):
You put the Coro club on the right side of
the screening a and that stops.

Speaker 2 (02:20):
That stops that mad rush to screening. But you know,
infrastructure and airports, as most airports around the world, Fine,
it takes time to get stuff and get to live it.

Speaker 1 (02:30):
Hey will listen. Thanks, And I'm a little bit sorry
that I introduced a negative I am sorry that I
introduced a negative tone to your when you deserve it, obviously, Todd,
because I'm not the judges. They are. Todd Grace, chief
operating Office at Queenstown Airport. For more from Heather Duplessy
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