The partial taxiway will run from the New Zealand International Commercial Pilot Academy's hangar (far left) to the threshold of the main runway (far right).
The partial taxiway will run from the New Zealand International Commercial Pilot Academy's hangar (far left) to the threshold of the main runway (far right).
Whanganui Airport will get a $3.6 million partial parallel taxiway despite the Government not considering it essential or providing funding.
At a council meeting earlier this month, Whanganui Airport chief executive Sarah O’Hagan said the project would mitigate “significant safety issues that have existed since 2019″, predominantly backtracking.
Backtracking – or backtaxiing – occurs when an aircraft taxis on a runway opposite its takeoff or landing direction.
The full taxiway has a price tag of $7.2m, originally intended to be split between the airport’s joint partners – the council and the Ministry of Transport.
O’Hagan said during meetings with Government officials earlier this year, it became clear the ministry would not provide co-funding for the taxiway.
“They do not consider this essential for the ongoing operation of the airport,” she said. “The chief executive of the airport – myself – and members of the airport team disagree with this assessment.”
Whanganui Airport chief executive Sarah O'Hagan says there have been significant safety issues at the airport since 2019.
A threshold is the beginning of the runway that is available for landing. Airport general manager Phil McBride told councillors it would mitigate risk for 70% of vehicle movements.
Air Chathams is the only commercial airline at the airport but would not be able to use the taxiway due to the size of its planes.
“You’re not making anything safer, you’re just tarsealing over what already exists in a grass form,” Emeny said. “Yes, it is getting busier and there is risk around more aeroplanes in the sky, but what is really needed is a better collaboration process between the primary users in terms of how you manage that risk.”
“A tarseal taxiway isn’t going to bring them the silver bullet they think it will.”
Council chief executive David Langford told councillors the risk at the airport was “on the radar of the Civil Aviation Authority” (CAA) and if the council did not mitigate it, the airport’s certification was at risk. Earlier this year, the CAA renewed the airport’s Aerodrome Operating Certificate until July 30, 2029.
Air Chathams chief operating officer Duane Emeny. Photo / David Haxton
Mike Hill, the CAA’s deputy chief executive of aviation security and infrastructure, told the Chronicle the airport operator decided to develop a parallel taxiway based on the recommendations of an aerodrome aeronautical study. The study was requested by the CAA because of increases in aircraft movements.
Hill said the CAA accepted the study’s recommendations but there were other ways to manage risks associated with increased aircraft movements, such as limiting traffic volumes or introducing an air traffic service.
The airport was fulfilling its obligation to manage aerodrome safety appropriately but there was no legal requirement “to implement this specific solution”, he said.
“An alternative solution could be used provided it achieved the same level of safety.
“This is a decision for the aerodrome operator.”
Langford said he and O’Hagan were personally liable in the event of an airport accident and they would be put in “a relatively untenable position” if the taxiway was not built and airport movements continued to increase.
“We are very adept at working from grass, which is the nature of our business, of course,” he said. “More generally, the amount of times the airport has said the grass taxiway is closed is so minimal.”
“It’s just not big enough an airport to justify the size of the seal.”
Hendel, a former chief investigator at the Transport Accident Investigation Commission, said the safety argument would be identical whether the parallel taxiway were grass or sealed.
“It’s about having good awareness of your flight operations.”
He said he would rather see investment in infrastructure to get other regional airlines and routes operating through Whanganui.
A Unicom (universal communication) system operates from the airport’s tower. It provides aerodrome and aircraft information to pilots in the area but is not a full air traffic control service. Emeny said the Unicom was a great initiative and made “good safety sense”.
“This [parallel taxiway] is just going too far.
“When it was originally pitched to us, the whole thing was wrapped into the airport reseal project – one package item – and we supported it.
“Now, it’s $7.2m just for the taxiway. It’s ludicrous.”
The airport’s runway was resealed last year for $6m – more than originally planned – and the parallel taxiway was put on hold.
Aerowork chief executive Harald Hendel says the safety argument would be identical whether the parallel taxiway were grass or sealed.
During hearings on the council’s Long Term Plan (LTP) earlier this year, Emeny said money for the taxiway would be better invested as a loan to the airline so it could set up a Whanganui to Christchurch route.
“You’re actually going to get a return off that. You’re getting nothing off a parallel taxiway,” he said last week.
Langford said the council was trying to mitigate a safety risk and the project was still in line with priorities in the LTP.
Councillors approved the full runway project during the LTP process.
“If you want us to stop, that is also an option for you today,” he told the meeting.
Councillor Rob Vinsen put forward a motion that councillors agree to the partial taxiway and officers continue to seek funding for the rest of it from the Regional Infrastructure Fund. It passed unanimously. O’Hagan said contractors were ready to go on January 13 next year. A funding application for phase two of the project to the Regional Infrastructure Fund was lodged about a month ago, she said.
“We are expecting to hear the outcome of that application before Christmas.”
Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present, his focus is local government, primarily Whanganui District Council.
