Summer Questions: Christchurch Airport's Malcolm Johns on how NZ's world could open up

Christchurch Airport CEO Malcolm Johns says company has stayed profitable. Photo / Supplied

Malcolm Johns is chief executive of Christchurch Airport

How would you describe 2021 for your business?

Incredibly challenging but hugely rewarding. We have remained profitable throughout and that has not been easy with borders closed and Auckland locked down.

How is your business planning to tackle 2022?

Optimistically, focused on living with Covid and chasing the opportunities arising from Covid - accelerated digitisation of everyday life, climate change and the future of work.

What will be the major challenges and/or opportunities for your industry?

Covid has accelerated parcel freight volumes and shipping congestion has shifted some freight on to air transport. Borders opening will see leisure travellers return ultimately and two things the South Island has is strong freight volumes and plenty of attraction for leisure travellers. Christchurch will have New Zealand's largest and newest convention centre and cruise terminal, and these will soon be followed by a major sports venue and New Zealand's biggest roofed arena.

How do you think the Government has handled the Covid-19 crisis?

There is no question that using the border to keep Kiwis safe during the early stages of things was the right decision. It allowed time for vaccines and therapies to become available. It's likely we need those strategies to evolve early in 2022, to reflect where things are at and allow New Zealand to reconnect to the world again.

What are two key things the Government should do for economic recovery?

Support business getting back to business, and reconnect with the world.

What was the most interesting non-Covid story of 2021?

For me, there are three - United Airlines operating its first 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel flight from Chicago to Washington, followed by Air New Zealand's partnership with Airbus on green aircraft, followed by Sounds Air committing to electric aircraft from 2025/26.

What are your predictions for 2022?

Living with Covid will bring us some snakes and ladders for a few months, but we should look through that and be confident about the road ahead.

What's the worst mistake you've made in business?

Failing to take an intergenerational view of things. In the past two decades, New Zealand has lost the ability to have intergenerational conversations and this will play into our infrastructure challenges and how we deal with climate change over the next 30 years.

What would you rate as your greatest success in business?

Post-quakes, we had to re-learn the ability to not only think intergenerationally, but also develop intergenerational strategy and have the confidence to begin activating that strategy, knowing it would play out well beyond your own career when many focused on today may question those steps.

Where are you holidaying this summer?

Coromandel is where family and friends are, and having seen very little of them over this year, we are looking forward to seeing everybody again.