Kāpiti, 15 December 2020 - Rolling closures at Kāpiti Coast Airport will impact the safety of pilots and small aircraft travelling New Zealand who
rely on the airport for safe harbour in poor weather and other events when travelling between the North and South
Islands.
Steve Brown, President of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of NZ (AOPANZ) says the rolling closures raise
unintended safety concerns and will impact pilots transiting through Cook Strait who use Omaka in Blenheim and Kāpiti
Airport in Paraparaumu as the staging points for their travel around NZ.
“Although the rolling closures have been made with safety assumptions, it means pilots of light aircraft lose the
flexibility to respond to changing conditions such as weather or fuel changes. The next nearest airport for fuel is
Wanganui or Wellington - and landing at Wellington can be problematic as it’s a major airport,” says Steve Brown.
From Saturday 12 December until 1 February the hours of operation at the Kāpiti Coast Airport are restricted daily by
airport owners NZPropCo, responding to staff shortages with AFIS (Aerodrome Flight information Service). Steve Brown
says it's the busiest time of year for the airport, as more people travel between the North and South Islands.
“At this time of year there is an increase in light aircraft travelling between the South and North Islands who rely on
the Kāpiti Coast Airport as a safety stop. We are concerned about their safety in what can be fast-changing weather
conditions.
“We would like to see the airport restrictions reviewed. Every other medium sized airfield with a tower or AFIS reverts
to ‘G’ airspace when the tower is not operational and can operate safely. We believe the same conditions can be applied
at Kāpiti Airport.
‘AOPA sees the issue as a long term one which needs a long-term solution and is part of the ongoing issue regarding the
airports future,” says Steve Brown.
The future of the airport is uncertain as the owners consider its future. Kāpiti Coast Mayor, K Gurunathan wrote to the Prime Minister on 8 December asking the Government to make a clear and comprehensive decision
on the current and future role of the Kāpiti Airport, marking it as a strategic operations asset for the Wellington
Region during a major civil emergency.About AOPA NZ
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association has over 430,000 members worldwide, spread over 66 countries, each dedicated to furthering general aviation in their
own country.
AOPA provides a unified voice for pilots in New Zealand by building relationships with Government and regulatory bodies
to ensure members’ views are represented, with the aim of preventing any increasing costs and restrictions being placed
on private and recreational flying.