Whanganui Airport wins Small Airport of the Year title in industry awards

Whanganui Airport UNICOM manager Rachel Keay (left) and airport manager Phil McBride (right) with NZ Airports Association chief executive Kevin Ward. Photo / Supplied

Whanganui Airport has been named New Zealand's "Small Airport of the Year".

The award was made by the New Zealand Airports Association for a regional airport that has fewer than 200,000 passengers a year.

It recognises the recent work to introduce an Aeronautical Information Service (UNICOM) which assists pilots of aircraft flying in the Whanganui airspace, while also providing the airport operator with greatly improved oversight of airport activities.

The judges described the provision of the UNICOM service as a project that went beyond the traditional individual award categories through its excellent safety improvements and enhanced airport user collaboration.

They said reusing the existing heritage control tower building meant the airport had strongly underpinned the future potential of its aviation community.

Airport manager Phil McBride said the negative impacts of Covid-19 had been significant for the aviation industry.

"Air Chathams has now resumed their Whanganui-Auckland flight schedule and passenger demand is steadily increasing as New Zealanders return to travelling regionally and overseas."

The reopening of New Zealand's borders means the number of international student pilots at the New Zealand International Commercial Pilot Academy (NZICPA), located at Whanganui Airport, has returned to pre-Covid levels. This has resulted in a significant increase in light aircraft activity which places Whanganui Airport in the Top 10 airports based on the total number of aircraft take-offs and landings.

Whanganui Airport chief executive Sarah O'Hagan said the recognition was reward for the significant amount of work that had gone into getting the UNICOM service up and running.

"UNICOM will continue to reward us in the future from a safety perspective, now more than ever with the NZICPA gearing back up and Air Chathams returning to a full flight schedule."