History of Wānaka Airport
Prior to the establishment of the Wānaka airport near Luggate, aircraft used the grass airstrip at the foot of Mt. Iron on the south side. This area was until the 10 acre block sub-division, technically part of Wānaka Station. Alastair McMillan built a hangar on the property and through the 1950s until it was closed in July 1983, it was used by fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, commercial and private.
It was increasingly obvious that the airport would never be satisfactory as a municipal airport. The site where the airport was eventually located at Luggate, had long been regarded as potentially suitable. There is a reference going back to a meeting of the town committee in 1937.
Negotiations continued through the 1970s. Lloyd Dunn was a driving force throughout the negotiations and kept pressure on the Councils and Government. Finally, in 1978, the price was negotiated with the owner, Norman Pittaway at $49,000 plus $8,000 for fencing. Power, telephone and sealing were to cost $120,000; this was financed with a loan and a government subsidy.
The airport opened in January 1983. Aspiring Air Ltd built the first hangar in June 1982, and the council and Aspiring Air shared the cost of erecting the toilet block and the water storage tank. The airport was administered by Lake County Council, but was situated in Vincent County Council. This created administrative difficulties with problems of meeting operating costs
Wānaka Airport Opening, 1983
In 1986, Lake County knew that if it wanted to retain the airport in public hands then it was imperative to develop the airport. That year the runway was lengthened to 1,200 metres and sown in grass seed. But the grass did not come away and the result had only limited use for about a year. In 1987 a sealed runway was completed; 30 metres in width and 1,200 metres long at a cost of $750,000. Finances were raised by interest-free loans, Wānaka businesses, and Air New Zealand.
Wānaka staged its first major air show in 1988. Organised by the New Zealand Warbirds Association, and Tim Wallis (later known as Sir Tim Wallis) of the Alpine Deer Group Ltd that had its headquarters at the airport. The people of Wānaka, headed by Wānaka Lions and other community groups got behind the event and made it enjoyable for the 12,000 people the air show attracted. Proceeds from the day were split between the Warbirds hangar fund for vintage aircraft at Ardmore, Auckland, and the Wānaka Lions Club fund, for a covered swimming pool in the town.
In March 2004, Air NZ subsidiary Eagle Air, launched a commercial service with daily Christchurch – Wānaka flights that ended in January 2013. Timing, cost and unreliability of flights were factors in its demise.
From small beginnings, more than 11 businesses and over 250 people now work at the airport on a day-to-day basis. The airport is owned by Queenstown Lakes District Council and managed by Queenstown Air Corporation.
Source: ‘Wanaka Story’ by Irvine Roxburgh.
