A rendering of the upgraded waiting area. Image supplied/TCC
Frequent flyers and tourism leaders have welcomed news of a $12.7 million upgrade for Tauranga Airport.
Tauranga Airport manager Ray Dumble said the expansion would more than double the floor area of the terminal to 3800sq m, making room for a larger lounge, new check-in area and facilities, and a bigger cafe.
It will also mean a shorter walk from the terminal when boarding.
Mr Dumble said work was due to start in late October and be completed by December 2018.
He said the expansion would accommodate the increase in Air New Zealand passenger volumes and provide for other regional network operators to fly in and out of Tauranga
Air New Zealand regional affairs manager Ian Collier said the airline welcomed the upgrade.
"Tauranga is a key destination for Air New Zealand and one we're focused on continuing to grow. We look forward to continuing to work closely with Tauranga City Council as it progresses," he said.
But the upgrade was not enough to tempt domestic competitor Jetstar to the Bay.
A Jetstar spokesman said the company had "no plans to expand further at this stage."
That was bad news for Tauranga frequent flyer Peter Cooney, one of the owners of the Classic Builders Group of Companies, who flies out of Tauranga almost every second day.
He would not mind some competition to knock down the "horrendous" prices of flights, especially on the Tauranga - Auckland route.
Mr Cooney was happy to hear about the expansion plans, saying an upgrade was "well overdue".
In the 10 years, he had been regularly flying to Auckland; he had noticed a big increase in the number of commercial travellers doing the same. He thought that trend would continue as the desirability of Tauranga as a place to live increased.
Port of Tauranga chief executive Mark Cairns, who flew weekly, said he too had noticed the waiting area filling up over the years.
"It's a good little regional lounge they just need to make it a bit bigger."
Economic development agency Priority One head Nigel Tutt said it was good the council were responding to the region's future needs.
He said there was still a conversation to be had about whether the location was the best place for the airport, particularly in light of the impact increasing traveller numbers could have on traffic.
Tauranga City Council said the development was approved when the council reviewed the Airport Master Plan in late 2015.
The review showed the terminal was operating at capacity and needed to expand to keep pace with Tauranga's growth.
The expansion was intended to meet capacity demands up to and beyond 2027.
Who's paying?
- Total budget $12.7m
- Fully funded by the airport's cash reserves and future commercial revenues
- Council says no rate funding required.
An upgrade of Tauranga's Airport terminal will give travellers a better "first impression" of the city, Tourism Bay of Plenty says.
Head of marketing Kath Low said the upgrade was a "really positive step forward".
She said in the last year the seat capacity - number of seats - on planes flying to Tauranga had increased by 80,000 seats.
Most of that growth came via Auckland Airport, but Christchurch traveller numbers were also on the rise.
She said there was huge potential to promote Tauranga as a "fly destination" to domestic tourists flying out of Christchurch and Wellington airports.
Tourism Bay of Plenty chief executive Kristen Dunne said extra space meant they might be able to put more visitor information services in the airport, to help tourists as they arrived.
Tauranga City Council said local iwi were developing better welcoming and farewell messaging for the terminal, plus artwork that would tell a story about history and culture.
There will also be coverage of the history of Tauranga Airport dating back to its opening in January 1939.