Focus: Auckland Airport's 'deteriorating' runway has led to an alert from the International Federation of Air Line Pilots. Liam Dann talks to aviation writer Grant Bradley.
COMMENT:
At the very least, Auckland Airport has one job. To make sure planes can land and take off.
The company is much more than just a runway operator, rightly diversifying and aggressively expanding revenue streams to build a company that now has a market capitalisation of more than$10 billion.
But two abrupt runway closures within a fortnight have thrown the spotlight on what's happening at Mangere and giving fuel to critics who accuse the company of being more interested in being a mega-mall and car park operator - which happens to have an airfield out the back.
That is unfair - a big chunk of its big infrastructure spend under way is related to its aeronautical business - but questions are being asked about whether its existing sole runway is getting the care and attention it needs.
Originally built more than 50 years ago, it has been extended, resurfaced, had large slabs laid at its northern end nearly 30 years ago and is now repeatedly patched up.
The company is saying little about the runway problems which have disrupted dozens of domestic and international flights and the plans of thousands of passengers. It has launched a three-week long investigation into them and says it may bring forward slab replacement work.
Airlines are seething, quietly. Diverting a wide body plane to Wellington or Christchurch, which has happened, costs around $100,000 and they're the ones that cop the brand and reputation damage from disgruntled passengers who don't distinguish between airlines and the airport.
There's also concern about the damage to New Zealand's international reputation. The 2017 fuel pipeline rupture which crippled aviation exposed brittle that infrastructure was and harmed Brand NZ - repeated disruption due failing runway concrete could do the same.
Airline lobby group Airlines for Australia and NZ (A4ANZ) is doing the talking for airlines, accusing the airport of paying much of its monopoly profits in dividends and ignoring essential infrastructure.
Pilots aren't holding back either. The International Federation of Air Line Pilots has issued a warning to 100,000 members about increased risk of flying into the country's main gateway.
It says flying into the city means pilots have to take extra steps to prepare for a sudden runway closure. The NZ Air Line Pilots Association has raised the spectre of a Concorde-type disaster, caused by debris thrown up from the runway.
Association president Andrew Ridling questions whether the airport has taken its eye off the ball and says travellers expect more of airport companies.
''They seem to be spending alot of money on terminals and car parks and forgotten about the major issue.''
The country's three biggest airports come under the watch of the Commerce Commission when it comes to setting prices for many of their activities. Under a light-handed regime, this includes how aeronautical charges are set.
But the commission's powers don't extend to taking action on shabby service at airports - unlike electricity distribution businesses where it does set specific standards the business must comply with.
Auckland Airport has a single runway although there are plans for a second one. Photo / Getty Images
It can take court action if it believes they've not been met and this last year resulted in Vector paying penalties of $3.5 million for breaches over two years.
Penalties like this make infrastructure companies sit up and take notice.
The commission says information is an increasingly powerful tool to help people assess how different businesses are performing but $10 billion monopolies can choose to not hear the feedback. The threat of closer regulatory oversight does work though so maybe its time for action on service standards.
That could encourage the airport to take its first job - providing a functioning runway all of the time - even more seriously.
