| 53 New Plymouth’s new airport terminal delivers a dramatic gateway to the province. New Plymouth Airport REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT T T Richard Loader If perspectives of a region can be shaped by its airport then people arriving at New Plymouth’s new terminal building will know they have arrived at a pretty special place. With views of the ocean and Maunga Taranaki in the distance, the airports beautifully designed terminal delivers a powerful gateway not just to New Plymouth but the wider region itself. Designed by Beca the award winning terminal building has captured the attention of many, winning several architectural and construction awards including the Special Exterior award at the prestigious 2021 Prix Versailles International Architecture awards. David Scott, CEO of Papa Rererangi i Puketapu Ltd, (PRIP) the Council Controlled Trading Organisation that operates the airport, says winning the award amongst 94 new projects in the world final was a remarkable achievement for an airport the size of New Plymouth. “From an external perspective when you are approaching the airport from the road or air it looks amazing and provides a unique experience for the travelling public. People arriving get a sense that not only have they arrived at a pretty special airport, they have actually arrived at a pretty special region.” New Plymouth Airport has been in its current location since 1967, built on what was originally Puketapu hapu land. When design for the new terminal was being considered the local Puketapu iwi were included in the design process making it a collaboration between the PRIP, Beca — the architect, and representatives from the iwi. “The results of the collaborative process are nothing short of spectacular. First and foremost it is an airport terminal and so it needs to be functional. You want the flow of passengers, baggage and goods to be seamless and convenient. Arguably it is the most practical, open and spacious terminal that I have worked in. Complementing that you have this amazing cultural experience as you enter the terminal. There is wonderful art and a cultural narrative that captures your eye.” David says the old terminal had seen fifty years’ service in the region and had been a fantastic asset. The progressive increase in passenger movements had outgrown the terminal and in 2015 the decision was made to replace the agng building. “Construction commenced 2018 and was completed in March 2020, right at the start of the first Covid lockdown. The official grand opening by the Prime Minister was scheduled for the weekend of the 20th of March, the first weekend that New Zealand went into lockdown, so regretfully that could not proceed. There was an official opening weekend Terminal a ‘unique experience’ several weeks later with a Māori blessing but unfortunately the Prime Minister was unable to attend due to prior engagements.” Prior to Covid the airport hosted 420,000 inbound and outbound passenger movements each year. Covid significantly impacted that number, and current estimates are that it will take another couple of years to return to the same level of activity. “Pre-Covid there was a 60/40 mix between business and leisure passenger movements. Leisure passengers are those people going on holiday or visiting relatives. New Plymouth Airport is incredibly important to the region. The nearest airport to us is Whanganui, which doesn’t have a regular airline service, so from that point of view it’s really Taranaki’s airport. There’s a lot of commerce operated on a national basis here. So having a regular and reliable air service is critical to the Taranaki and New Plymouth economy.”Airports are very emotional places. They are special places where important things happen. People are meeting and greeting families they haven’t seen for a long time, especially in the era of Covid and closed borders. They are coming for births, funerals, weddings or important business meetings and the terminal plays a key role in that experience — New Plymouth’s new terminal delivers all of that and so much more. PROPERTY VALUATIONS Residential | Commercial | Rural BUILDING INSPECTIONS Thermal imaging | Meth testing | Asbestos testing Phone: +64 757 5753 Email: taranaki@telferyoung.com Web: telferyoung.com Local Knowledge, National Coverage Proud to support New Plymouth Airport www.tandemgroup.co.nz | Brent Abbott on 06 758 5273 Supporting and empowering business Proud to Support New Plymouth Airport Chartered Accountants
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