Showing the Love for NZ Tourism
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Airport Times Keeping the Auckland Airport community informed | Issue 76 July 2008 | ISSN1176-9432 Showing the love for NZ tourism Inside this issue: • Fighting fog • Launch of new educational website • The airport celebrates Matariki • Plus much more... Right: The Auckland Airport business lounge was a welcome retreat for busy buyers and exhibitors at the recent TRENZ conference in Rotorua. a year by 2025, refl ecting New We are also prepared for the arrival Showing Zealand’s growing popularity as of the next generation of aircraft, one of the world’s leading tourism and are one of the fi rst airports in destinations. With over 70% of the world to be A380 capable. The the love visitors to New Zealand arriving or fi rst scheduled A380 fl ight into Auckland Airport has started departing from Auckland, the airport New Zealand will land at Auckland counting some of the ways in community has a pivotal role in in February 2009. servicing that growth. which it loves New Zealand Auckland Airport is also making life tourism. This love means ‘Showing the love’ for easier for visitors. As many of you will improving the visitor experience know, from July this year, travellers here at New Zealand’s front New Zealand tourism will no longer be required to pay door, reinforcing the work means ensuring an international departure fee at of our tourism industry and Auckland Airport. getting ready for the enormous that the fi rst and last anticipated growth in visitors This ever deepening love for to New Zealand. experience of New tourism has also been signalled by Zealand for every Auckland Airport’s two-year platinum Auckland Airport chief executive sponsorship of New Zealand’s Don Huse said, “New Zealand tourism visitor is uniquely fl agship tourism trade event, TRENZ and the airport community share 2008 and 2009. many of the same challenges and Kiwi, welcoming and aspirations. There is a natural bond outstanding. Don added, “Auckland Airport and our tourism partners are all working between the two, like cheese and The new international arrivals hard to bring more people to New wine or rugby and beer. Some things area and the domestic terminal Zealand and to give them some just fi t perfectly together. We all want extreme makeover, along with the special memories to take home. more people to visit New Zealand October 2008 opening of the new and leave with a deep emotional international arrivals pier, are all “We want all our airport and tourism attachment to our beautiful country.” part of our long-standing and deep partners to know that we are working Auckland Airport is gearing up for commitment to continually improving with them and are absolutely an anticipated 24 million passengers the New Zealand arrival experience. committed to playing our part.” 02 Airport Times make Auckland Airport ‘fog friendly’ Auckland so that jet aircraft can land in fog Upfront where visibility is reduced to 75 metres, before visibility had to be with Auckland Airport more than 550 metres. It is going to make a huge difference in foggy Airport chief becomes conditions and all the early-morning executive long-haul aircraft should be able offi cer ‘fog to land.” Don Huse All jet pilots and aircraft are in the friendly’ process of being certifi ed to fl y into New Zealand tourism and Auckland Airport share many Auckland Airport using the new Flight delays because of fog of the same challenges and technology. are set to be greatly reduced at aspirations. We all want more Auckland Airport following the Next up, Auckland Airport is installing people to come here and, by the installation of new technology. aerial equipment and transponders time they leave our shores, to Auckland Airport is now classed as in essential ground vehicles so that have acquired a deep emotional having a Category 3b runway which aircraft and vehicle movements can attachment to our beautiful means it is capable of landing jet be monitored on a computer screen. country. aircraft in low-visibility conditions, This will allow air traffi c control staff The airport’s tourism programme including dense fog. to know where aircraft and vehicles is aimed at ensuring that the After the installation of extra runway are, even when fog prevents them visitor experience is uniquely Kiwi, lighting late last year, Auckland Airport from being seen. welcoming and outstanding. became Category 3b capable and “This next stage is similar to a We continue to invest heavily was able to deal with up to six fl ights surface movement radar so we can in our tourism future. By now, (three arriving and three departing) ‘see’ where aircraft and vehicles are many of you will have seen our per hour in heavy fog conditions. This at all times through the fog. Once new international arrivals area. number has now doubled to 12 fl ights it is in place in September, we will It features iconic New Zealand per hour following the installation of be able to increase the number of imagery, a greatly increased extra taxiway lighting in May. aircraft movements to 20 fl ights per capacity for passenger processing, Airfi eld operations manager Bob hour during heavy fog conditions,” and one of the most widely Parkinson says, “The new initiatives says Bob. stocked and competitive arrivals duty-free stores in the world. October 2008 will see the opening Far left: Extra of the new international arrivals runway lighting pier, Pier B. This will greatly lights up the main increase capacity and access for runway at Auckland aircraft handling at Auckland and Airport, assisting pilot visibility in foggy maintains our long-standing and conditions. deep commitment to continually improving the New Zealand arrival and departure experience. From this month, travellers will no longer be required to pay an international departure fee at Auckland Airport. Instead, a charge will be levied on airlines. This brings Auckland Airport into line with other major gateways around the world. Auckland Airport and our tourism partners are working together to This special dragon sculpture below is on display at Auckland Airport’s bring more people to New Zealand international terminal as part of the build up to the Beijing Olympics. and to give them special and exciting memories to take home. The stainless steel sculpture was a gift from the Chinese community to the Details on our recent sponsorship New Zealand Olympic team and will be displayed in the Kiwi compound of the of TRENZ, a major tourism event, Olympic village. can be found on page 2. Don Huse Chief executive offi cer Airport Times 03 Right: Ian Collins, owner of Flying Fit gym, loves helping Introducing people achieve their fi tness goals. Ian Collins Ian Collins has made a career out of keeping airport workers healthy as the owner of Flying Fit, an airport-based gym that has almost become an institution around Auckland Airport. The gym opened in September 1991 and it now has 800 members made up of a mix of airport staff and local residents. “Flying Fit is all about providing fi tness expertise to our members so they can have a better lifestyle. I love helping people achieve their fi tness goals. “It’s important to add the personal touch which is why I enjoy welcoming and farewelling as many members as I can when they arrive for their workout and when they leave,” says Ian. The gym offers full exercise facilities with unlimited use Ian estimates he knows around 75% of his members of cardio equipment, sauna, sunbed, personalised by name and enjoys building a rapport with them all programmes, fi tness assessments and squash courts. and says “It is this attention to detail that has helped From July the gym is also running a winter weight-loss to keep a core membership of around 30 members programme with weekly weigh-ins and nutrition and who have been with us since we opened motivation advice. the doors 18 years ago.” Due for expansion soon is the women’s-only area which Flying Fit, located next to the Aviation Country Club on will be even better equipped to deal with female members Tom Pearce Drive, has a team of six part-time staff, – who make up 60% of the Flying Fit clientele. four personal trainers and a physiotherapist who keep While most members are aged between 20 – 30 years the gym running from 6.00am – 8.00pm weekdays, and Ian’s oldest member is a 79-year-old lady who has been 9.00am – 3.30pm on weekends. with Flying Fit since 1994. Right: A group of The site boasts a wonderful collection of activities, 40 children from images and audio resources all designed to help Kotiri Kindergarten, Mangere East educate children on the diverse range of activities that recently visited the occur at New Zealand’s busiest airport. Included on airport for a tour. the site is an online booking form for Auckland Airport Prior to their visit tours. The free tours cater for all school ages, are the children made conducted by a qualifi ed educator and designed to passports which educator Tracy Nia suit class objectives. offi cially stamped Teachers who have trialled the site have been on their arrival. (From left to right) impressed that is up to date with the latest school Esther Teaurere, curriculum. “It is great to see a user-friendly resource Paula Kata and that relates to the new New Zealand Curriculum Koloa Ika show us put out so promptly,” says Kate Reynard, deputy their passports. Back to school principal at Miramar Primary in Wellington. “The site New Zealand children will have no excuses for not has some terrifi c features including some innovative knowing everything about airports, thanks to a new activities teachers can use both before and after an educational website developed by Auckland Airport.