Hawke's Bay Airport extends free parking but brings in no waiting policy

Hawke's Bay Airport is extending its free parking. Photo / Duncan Brown

Hawke's Bay Airport is extending free parking times but also introducing a "no waiting" policy to handle growing congestion issues.

Effective from today, the airport is enforcing a no waiting policy in the pick up and drop off zone, regardless of whether or not the vehicle is attended. Any vehicle breaching this policy will be liable for a fine.

However, Hawke's Bay Airport commercial manager Dean Smith said to offset the new measure the free parking in all public carparks would be extended from 15 minutes to 30 minutes.

That would enable people to find a park, meet arriving passengers or see them off, and leave the airport without incurring a parking fee.

"This will cost the airport money because of the change from 15 minutes to half an hour. We were generating $3 from someone that stayed there for 25 minutes but it will now be free, and there is quite a significant number of people.

"It's an investment on behalf of the airport to improve the safety and efficiency of the airport."

The new measures would remain in place for about 18 months during the airport terminal expansion project, due to start in January.

People who park for less than 30 minutes will not need to validate their ticket.

Mr Smith said the airport had experienced significant growth in traffic in the past two years and there are much higher volumes of cars outside the terminal.

"These new measures are to ensure passenger safety, which is absolutely paramount, and also to provide more efficient use of the airport facilities while the project rolls out."

The airport recently introduced a flat rate parking fee all of its public carparks of $15 per day for the first five days and then $10 per day thereafter.