Bay's $9m runway 'ready by World Cup'

Tenders for a $9 million extension to Hawke's Bay's airport runway are expected to be called soon, while the region courts Pacific Blue as a potential new operator.

Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule said the work, adding 600 metres to the 1300m runway to make it long enough for jet aircraft, was likely to start soon after Christmas.

It was expected to be finished by the end of next year, "in plenty of time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup".

Hawke's Bay airport handles more than 200,000 passengers a year. It was upgraded from an aerodrome for turbo-prop aircraft during the 1960s, but has never been adapted for jets.

Air New Zealand, which has in effect had a monopoly on the route, opposed the runway extension and has said it would not offer jet services in Hawke's Bay.

A company spokeswoman said yesterday: "Air New Zealand's current assessment is that the Hawke's Bay is currently better serviced by a high frequency of flights using turbo-prop aircraft."

A group called the HB Runway Trust began campaigning five years ago to have the runway extended in the hope that other airlines, using jets, could bring competition, lower fares, more seats during peak hours and, eventually, direct trans-Tasman flights.

The Napier and Hastings councils own most of the land, but the airport is run as a joint venture with the Government.

The previous government was not prepared to fund development or agree to leasing 20 hectares of Landcorp swamp land as an emergency runoff area.

Mr Yule said the lease would now go ahead. "The new Government is looking at it as we speak," he said yesterday.

The airport will be corporatised on July 1, allowing it to function as a normal company and borrow funds for the runway development.

The two government and two Hawke's Bay directors would be announced next week, Mr Yule said.

He had asked Pacific Blue to add Hawke's Bay to its domestic route. "We will meet them again in the next two to three weeks."

Runway trust spokesman Simon Nixon said Mr Yule's words were "very good news". "It's a pity it's taken five years to reach this point, but I'm aware of the difficulties the last government imposed on Hawke's Bay and effectively stopped it happening.

"They tried to grab the airport land to use for their own purposes in a Treaty settlement. That's why [Labour MPs] Russell Fairbrother and Rick Barker got booted out."

- © Fairfax NZ News