Wānaka Airport Future Review

Have your say on the future options for Wānaka Airport

Egis (independent consultants) are engaging with Queenstown Lakes District communities as part of the future review study for Wānaka Airport. The future review will set the vision, values, objectives and preferred outcomes for Wānaka Airport. This is an independent review and Egis want to hear what is important to the Wānaka Upper Clutha community, Airport operators and users to help shape the Airport’s future potential. This is the second round of community engagement where we’ll be sharing several scenario options for potential future uses for Wānaka Airport that were developed following the first round of engagement.

What we heard during the first round of engagement

In June-July we undertook the first round of engagement to understand what living, working and playing in this unique landscape means to you. We also asked what role the airport should play in your future.

>> Read a summary of the feedback received during the early engagement

Note: The early engagement included two days of in-person wānanga community drop-in sessions, an online survey, stakeholder group meetings and an interactive pin drop activity on a map that was based on a simple SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats).

Quick links:

Background

Wānaka Airport is located approximately 10 kilometres south-east of Wānaka township, near the village of Luggate in New Zealand’s Otago region. The airport is owned by QLDC and operated by Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) under a management services agreement. Wānaka Airport is a vibrant and diverse aviation hub. It supports a wide range of activities including scenic flights, skydiving, flight training, aircraft maintenance, NASA balloon launches, and general aviation. It is also hosts major events such as the Warbirds Over Wānaka International Air Show and Warbirds & Wheels displays. The airport is home to over 11 aviation-related businesses and supports approximately 250 jobs, making it a key contributor to the local economy.

In July 2024 as part of LTP consultation, QLDC signalled its intent to develop a long-term plan for the Wānaka Airport. As part of this process Egis was engaged to undertake the Wānaka Airport future review to hear and report on feedback from the community. This review will explore the airport’s long-term role, its economic impact, and its integration into New Zealand’s broader aeronautical network. The future of Wānaka Airport is not just about infrastructure - it's about strengthening community ties, supporting regional economic growth, and celebrating the spirit of aviation.

How to have your say

We’ve received a strong, coherent response from the community, stakeholders and representative groups which have guided the development of five future airport scenarios and a number of additional complementary options.

In the second round of engagement, we’re asking the community and stakeholders to evaluate and provide feedback on these scenario options for Wānaka Airport.

You can learn more and provide your thoughts at an in-person community drop-in session in Wānaka on either 29 or 30 August. You can also share your thoughts on an online survey available at the bottom of this page from 29 August.

This round of community engagement will be open for feedback from 29 August to 18 September 2025.

Opportunities to find out more

All are welcome to come along to one of two community drop-in sessions to evaluate the potential future scenario options, hosted by the Egis team. These sessions are your chance to hear what we have to say, ask questions, share your thoughts, and be part of shaping the future of Wānaka Airport.

Drop-in session one:

When: Friday 29 August, 4.00 – 7.00pm
Where: Alpine Helicopters, 10 Lloyd Dunn Ave, Wānaka Airport

Drop-in session two:

When: Saturday 30 August, 9.00am - 12 noon
Where: Meeting Room, Wānaka Recreation Centre, 41 Sir Tim Wallis Drive

We’d recommend reading the early engagement summary before coming along as this will help provide context and support you when taking part in evaluation tasks.

What happens next

Following the second round of engagement. Egis will present the findings to the Stakeholder Advisory Group to clarify the community’s preferences on future use scenarios for the airport. These findings will then be presented to QLDC elected members in November 2025.

Got a question?

If you have a question, please submit on the Q&A tool below and we'll get it answered as soon as possible. All questions and answers will be published for everyone to see.