| 9 “We’re the South Island’s only airport with a runway that can welcome widebody aircraft. That means the vast majority of airfreight arrives into and flies out of the South Island via Christchurch Airport.” The project involves expanding the freight apron within Dakota Park and will see construction of around 30,000m2 of aircraft apron and 15,000sqm of adjacent taxiway. Freight extension meets future needs T TKaren Phelps The new freight apron expansion project at Christchurch Airport is an example of the business delivering on its 2040 Master Plan - to ensure it grows to meet the future needs of the city, region, South Island and Aotearoa New Zealand, says Christchurch Airport General Manager of Property John O’Dea. The project involves expanding the freight apron within Dakota Park, the airport’s 80-hectare freight and logistics precinct. “Aircraft fly in and taxi to the freight apron where goods are unloaded (some tenants have direct access to the airfield) and then transported where they need to go,” explains John. “It’s a super-efficient system, as Dakota Park has direct access to State Highway 1.” The project will see construction of around 30,000m2 of aircraft apron and 15,000m2 of adjacent taxiway. “This will triple the size of the apron to have room for up to eight aircraft compared with the existing apron’s room for three. Once completed, the dedicated freight apron will be the largest and most efficient in New Zealand. “We’re the South Island’s only airport with a runway that can welcome widebody aircraft. That means the vast majority of airfreight arrives into and flies out of the South Island via Christchurch Airport. “There’s been huge growth in airfreight demand due to e-commerce (online shopping) and businesses micro-exporting. “Consistent growth is expected to continue for the next ten years. Expanding the freight precinct means we will more than cater for that growth.” The precinct has been designed so it can cater for the new generations of low emission aircraft the airport expects to welcome in the future. The project will drive efficiency and improve sustainability across the transport network, by creating more opportunities to fly goods directly in and out of the South Island, instead of transporting them over land to and from Auckland, says John. But overall, it aligns with one of the airport’s missions – to fuel economic prosperity in the South Island for future generations. He says the project is a great example of how its teams collaborate to get important projects over the line, with the airport’s property and aero teams working together on the project for more than two years. The project is nearing the end of detailed design and in early July commence a procurement process is likely to begin to select a civil contractor to undertake this work. He says that despite the complexity of the project, there have been no major issues to date but the team is aware projects of this scale always face challenges. “We expect there will be some and are putting together a detailed project management plan so we’re prepared. Those challenges might include weather disruptions, working on a live airfield, connecting to the existing freight apron, and ensuring current operators can operate as normal while we construct around them.” The project is earmarked for completion by the end of 2025 and will be good news for consumers. John says the airport will be able to meet the South Island’s airfreight needs for future generations, which fuels economic prosperity and ensures South Islanders can have vital goods quickly. “By ensuring airport infrastructure is designed for new generations of low emission aircraft expected to flying there in the future, we’re showing kaitikaitanga too. “It’s also designed to drive revenue growth for Christchurch Airport through handling additional freight and attracting new businesses to locate themselves on the airport campus, which is good for the city.” Christchurch Airport: Freight Apron Expansion REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT • Structural Engineering • Architectural Design • Civil Engineering • Industrial and Commercial BuildingDesign Specialists www.engenium.co.nz | +64 3 366 0434 Proud to support Christchurch International Airport
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