| 7 Glentanner Airport REGIONAL Aoraki Mount Cook & Glaciers 'Grand Traverse' scenic flights & charter flights from Glentanner Park - all year around. PH 03 6806 880 www.airsafaris.co.nz Locally owned & operated since 1970 ONCE IN A LIFETIME HELICOPTER EXPERIENCES. helicopter.co.nz Christchurch-based company Dawn Aerospace has been testing its unmanned Aurora spaceplane at Glentanner Airport. “Our goal is to be an exemplar in offering a premium tourism experience, with an understanding that the cornerstone of the Glentanner Airport business is environmental care.” hospitality businesses and visitor attractions throughout the Mackenzie District. The airport’s continued success has helped encourage visitors to stay longer and explore more of the area, ultimately creating value well beyond the airfield itself. Air Safaris is also pivotal to the airport’s success, operating scenic flights from Glentanner, while supporting airport operations behind the scenes. More recently, Glentanner has attracted international attention through Christchurchbased company, Dawn Aerospace, which has been testing its unmanned Aurora spaceplane from the airport. The location offers unique advantages, including wide-open airspace, a privately managed airfield and the scenic backdrop of Aoraki/Mount Cook, while also showcasing the region on a global stage. For users from tourism operators and recreational pilots to aerospace innovators, Glentanner has become a flexible base that supports both established industries and emerging technologies. Today, the airport continues to welcome recreational pilots, military training exercises and charter operators, while also supporting pilot training. Together, these diverse aviation activities make Glentanner Airport an important player in the wider Mackenzie tourism economy. By supporting commercial operators, recreational aviation, aerospace innovation and visitor experiences, the airport complements other regional businesses while benefiting both the Aoraki/Mount Cook area and the wider South Island. Looking ahead, there are further opportunities across tourism, aerospace technology, pilot training and regional aviation. However, those opportunities come with challenges, including rising operating costs, compliance requirements, and the effects of climate change on alpine environments. “Our goal is to be an exemplar in offering a premium tourism experience, with an understanding that the cornerstone of the Glentanner Airport business is environmental care,” Ross says. That commitment extends beyond the airport itself through conservation initiatives across Glentanner Group properties, including protecting native landscapes and maintaining the area as “wilding free”, ensuring the environment that has attracted visitors for generations continues to do so in the future.
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