MEDIA RELEASE - NEW ZEALAND AIRPORTS ASSOCIATION
4 SEPTEMBER 2009

NZ Airports welcomes Minister’s plan to avoid airport closures

The New Zealand Airports Association (NZ Airports) today welcomed the announcement by the Minister of Labour Kate Wilkinson that the Government would act to prevent meal breaks legislation causing key regional airports to close twice a day.

NZ Airports Chief Executive Kevin Ward said, “The introduction of statutory rest and meal breaks would have caused major disruptions and a loss of services to Invercargill, Gisborne, Napier, Rotorua and New Plymouth airports where there is a sole-charge air traffic controller.

Passengers and the tourism sector rely on dependable air services. Closing during normal hours is just not the way airports operate,” he said.

Mr Ward added, “The Minister has got it dead right. There was a failure of common sense under the meal breaks legislation and now we’ve all got the opportunity to help to fix this up through the legislative process.”

Mr Ward said the five regions and the aviation sector would be waiting to see if common sense prevails if there is a gap between 1 November, when the closures were due to start, and the implementation of the amended breaks legislation.

ENDS

For further details contact Kevin Ward at kevin.ward@nzairports.co.nz or
Phone (04) 384 3217
Mobile (021) 384 524

About NZ Airports
NZ Airports is the industry association and authoritative voice for New Zealand’s airport sector. It is a not-for-profit organisation whose members include 27 airports that span the country and enable the essential air transport links between each region of New Zealand and between New Zealand and the world.

Air services are the lifeblood of New Zealand tourism and trade, and airports play a major role in developing and strengthening those air services. 80% of New Zealand’s services exports are reliant on air transport. Airports also make a vital contribution to healthy and vibrant communities by connecting businesses, families and friends, and make full participation in many sporting and cultural events possible.

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