High-performance coach for Golf NZ Jay Carter was a frequent traveller and said the upgrade was "impressive". Photo / George Novak
Air travellers are turning their sights to Tauranga as the number of passengers in and out of the city airport booms.
The number of people flying in and out of Tauranga airport increased by 22 per cent in the quarter ending June 2019, compared to the same period last year.
Year on year, the number was up 17 per cent, with a total of 475,000 passengers walking the Tauranga tarmac over the past year.
These figures come just months after the airport's $13.9 million terminal revamp, with Tauranga Airport manager Ray Dumble saying the airport would have been in "big trouble" if it had not happened when it did.
Dumble said the increase in people choosing to visit the city for both leisure and business had been steadily rising for a number of years but had seen significant growth in the past four years.
The much-needed project increased airport capacity and allowed the terminal to "cope" with the large increase of travellers, he said.
The increase in car parking numbers was in line with the increase in passenger numbers at around 22 per cent, he said.
A spokeswoman from Air New Zealand said in the past 12 months, the carrier had operated 16 per cent more seats on their Tauranga routes due to high demand.
Air New Zealand head of regional affairs and tourism Reuben Levermore said Tauranga was an important port on its domestic network and demand for flights into and out of the region continued to strengthen, from both business and leisure travellers.
The airline announced 10 additional one-way services a week on both their Tauranga-Auckland and Tauranga-Wellington routes in December.
Leisure travellers to the city had been on the rise for years, with an increase in visitor spend in the city correlating with the high demand.
Figures from Tourism Bay of Plenty looking at the past decade showed visitor spend in the region had increased significantly.
In every quarter ending May since 2014, visitor spend had increased by just under $300 million.
Ella Shirley from Tourism Bay of Plenty said the thriving tourism industry had always been a key factor in the airport's continued success.
She said the successful new terminal was evidence of Tauranga Airport's ongoing belief in the industry.
Tauranga Mayor Greg Brownless said the number of passengers had been increasing faster than population growth in the city, which was a great sign for the Tauranga economy.
He said from looking at it, he immediately thought there was a clear rise in business travellers visiting the city, as holidaymakers had always been attracted to the city.
The terminal improvements happened with "an eye to the future" and "thank God it did", he said.
High-performance coach for Golf NZ Jay Carter, who lives in Tauranga, said as a frequent traveller, the airport's upgrade was "impressive" and easily accommodated the increase of passengers.
Carter travelled around the country regularly and often had people fly into the city for his work.
He said business travel around the regions was becoming more common and the terminal's larger size had increased its comfort.
He said the airport even had "a bit of pride attached to it" now.
"It's definitely a stand-out for regional airports."
Tauranga Chamber of Commerce chief executive Matt Cowley said the airport had seen a lot more demand, particularly with early morning and afternoon flights from Tauranga to Auckland and Tauranga to Wellington for business purposes.
Cowley said this greater demand also reflected on the state of the city's roading infrastructure, especially for business people needing to travel during weekdays for meetings or connect with international flights.
"It's much better to fly to Auckland and back than to spend hours driving there," he said.
"As our economy grows, the demand from business people wanting to connect with our big cities, will only mean the need for greater capacity on some of these routes."
Cowley said Tauranga held an increasing number of events which were a big drawcard for the growing number of domestic travellers, some of whom chose to fly in and out of the city.
- Additional reporting Sandra Conchie