NZALPA raises concerns on new tower construction at Wellington Airport.

Wellington Airport is planning to build a new 32 metre high air traffic control tower that will be architecturally built on a lean and while Air Traffic Controllers are enthusiastic, it also raises some concerns.

Airways New Zealand has lodged a resource consent application with the Wellington City Council for the control tower, designed to lean into the prevailing northerly wind at an angle of 12.5 degrees.

NZALPA says the Airways decision to invest a substantial amount of money into the new tower is a good one, but NZALPA would like to make sure they are included in the consultation process around the build to ensure that all risks to the travelling public and our members are appropriately mitigated.

NZALPA, representing Air Traffic Controllers and Pilots, firmly believe the safety of the travelling public is paramount and as such any new infrastructure at Wellington Airport should meet the highest of safety standards.

NZALPA Air Traffic Control Director Jon Brooks says whilst we love the fact plans for a new air traffic control tower, and one potentially so iconic, are underway, we do have concerns.

“There are aircraft conflict hot spots around the airfield and with the proposed change of location of the new tower, it means that controllers will probably not be able to see by direct sight some areas of the airfield.”

“We are wanting to ensure there are proper safety procedures and equipment in place for air traffic controllers but more importantly the travelling public,” Mr Brooks said.

“We are hoping that our concerns can be alleviated by Airways through a collaborative approach to the build of this essential piece of infrastructure,” he said.

The nine storey tower is proposed for an industrial area on the southern end of the airport near Lyall Bay at a cost of $18 million. The new building replaces the 58 year old tower currently in place.

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