Businesses suffer from lack of direct air link

Wellington businesses are being held back by a lack of long-haul flights into Asia, a business leader says.

Employers Chamber of Commerce Central chief executive Ken Harris said the issue has been talked about for years – but it was time for action.

A lack of a direct link to Asia was a significant barrier to business in Wellington, Mr Harris said.

There was a demand and business was crying out for it to happen, he said.

“A direct air link is a must.

“Every day more than 250 people from the wider Wellington region take flights to Asia and beyond. “Currently, most have to transit through Auckland or Christchurch – sometimes overnight – which adds to the cost, travel time and inconvenience of the trip.”

Businesses spoken to by the chamber overwhelmingly saw Singapore as the ideal destination for a long haul service, he said.

“Singapore has the advantage of being a major hub servicing several world cities as well being close enough to Wellington to avoid illogical backtracking to other Asian airports.”

Wellington Airport chief executive Steve Fitzgerald said the airport had three separate economic studies done as to whether a direct flight into Asia was viable and all of them supported a service.

He said the stumbling block was airlines that flew between New Zealand and Asia did not operate a Boeing 777-200LR, an aircraft capable of taking off from and landing on Wellington's runway at its present length.

They were mainly used in the Middle East.

“Everyone is waiting for the new [Boeing] 787. It's our view it will be one of the aircraft of the future and Air New Zealand has ordered several.”

Unfortunately, delivery of the 787 had been delayed six times from when it was originally due in 2008 and, the reality was, it was still probably 12 to 18 months before it would be flying New Zealand skies, he said.

As the 787 was still being tested, Mr Fitzgerald was unsure whether it would be able to carry a fully-loaded flight from Wellington to Asia with the airport's runway at its present length.

“Based on the specs on paper, it should, but no one knows for sure.”

He said if it was found another 100m of runway was needed to accommodate fully-loaded flights to Asia, there was a “master plan” to extend the northern end of the runway to the edge of Evans Bay.

The 100m extension, which would cost between $30 and $50 million, would be built over the top of the existing road, Cobham Drive, similar to how Moa Point Road runs under the southern end of the runway.