Justin Watson, chief executive at Christchurch Airport. Photo / Supplied
Justin Watson, chief executive at Christchurch Airport. Photo / Supplied
How would you describe 2024 for your business?
Christchurch Airport continued its strong performance off the back of strong growth in international traffic and continued diversification into freight, retail and property. Underlying operating profit was up 37%, which enabled us to pay a dividend of $36.7m (up $10mon 23) to our shareholders
What will be your biggest business challenges in 2025?
Supply-side challenges faced by airlines in the form of maintenance, delayed orders of new aircraft or crew constraints mean there are not enough aircraft flying for the demand that exists. This often leads to very full planes and elevated fares. For international air capacity, it’s a highly competitive global market where airlines want to maximise their opportunities with the constrained resources they have
We have a significant opportunity in leveraging the strength of Christchurch as a destination. Christchurch, with its new infrastructure, sought-after universities and reasonable house prices makes it highly appealing not just for visitors, but education, business and as a place to settle.
What will it take to kickstart New Zealand’s economy?
We need our key export earners of agriculture and tourism to be powered up and competing more aggressively on the world stage. This takes a strong brand New Zealand to help get cut through. We also need the right financial settings to make New Zealand attractive to investors along with a declining and predictable interest rate environment
United Airlines flight UA730 arrives in Christchurch from San Francisco Photo / George Heard
What are the concrete actions your company has taken to reduce climate change?
Christchurch Airport continues to lead in sustainability and climate change mitigation within the aviation industry. We have reduced over 90% of our scope 1 & 2 emissions, earning us the highest level of accreditation for decarbonisation by Airports Council International (ACI). Christchurch Airport is the only airport in the Southern Hemisphere to achieve this. Our focus has now shifted to how we can help others to decarbonise with our flagship development alongside partners Contact Energy and Lightsource of a 350-hectare solar farm, Kowhai Park, on the west side of the airport. Kowhai Park, which will be completed by the end of 2025, will generate 150MW of electricity or the equivalent energy to power 36,000 homes. The energy produced will sustainably power the airport campus and future aviation activities, including terminal requirements, future electric plane charging and the production of sustainable aviation fuel (Saf) for air transport
How are you increasing diversity in your business?
We pride ourselves on being a fair organisation, an inclusive team, one that embraces and reflects diversity and inclusion in all forms. Our aspiration is that we reflect the communities we serve and are an organisation that has the capability and understanding to embrace diversity and be inclusive. We have a number of diversity and inclusion initiatives across our team, from celebrating Chinese and Māori language weeks, being part of pride pledge, hidden disabilities programme, building cultural competency and women in leadership programmes.
