Why Kāpiti Coast Airport is a lifeline we can't afford to lose

I’m proud that we still have a functional airport in Kāpiti.

In 2020 it was revealed that the private owners of our airport intended to chop it up and sell it, ceasing all operations on September 11th, ending any kind of airport for our region with only two weeks’ notice. I started the campaign to Save Kāpiti Airport right then, hoping we could initially retain the airport for at least two years, and if really successful buy our community five years to find a long-term enduring solution.

As we approach that five year mark I’m really proud that the campaign I kicked off back at the beginning has been proven to be really successful, and to have captured the broad view of our community that we don’t want to be left isolated.

The key reason for retaining our airport was always first and foremost one of resilience. I’ve personally been involved in numerous crises where areas of New Zealand have been cut off and isolated, and I’ve seen the importance of air connections firsthand. A great example is Kaikōura. When the earthquake hit, the road and rail links to both the north and the south were cut. It took months to rebuild them and re-open them. In those initial days the only way to get vital supplies in, and sick or vulnerable people out, was through an airlink or via the wharf. Effectively Kaikōura had become island.

Now consider Kāpiti. We know how vulnerable we could be when the big one hits the Wellington Region. I’ve seen the NEMA modelling and it is severe. It is entirely likely that Kāpiti will become an island too, but unlike Kaikoura we don’t have a wharf to rely on. We need our airport. Of course the added bonus is that we also have air services from airlines like Chathams and Sounds Air. I’ve used them both whenever possible and found it so helpful to have local services supporting our region.

So what does the future look like? My bottom line has always been fighting to protect the runway and a functional operational area for planes to load and unload. That still leaves a huge amount of space to develop around the outside.

Every profitable airport in New Zealand uses airport land for commercial purposes. We saw the start of this with the Kāpiti Landing site, including Mitre 10, New World and other stores. The initial vision was to continue this even further. Now I’ve been told the land under those stores, which I understand is very profitable, is being cut-off and sold. That’s ok as long as it doesn’t become the excuse to declare the undeveloped land ‘unprofitable.’ It’s a bit like selling off the land under your house and keeping the driveway and then complaining that the driveway is not profitable to rent just the driveway. A driveway might be highly functional and necessary but is the commercial aspects that drive profits of a rental property, and it is the same with an airport.

So what’s the future? The future is to keep the runway and operational area and continue to develop around the edges. This gives us the best of both. We keep the ability to provide critical relief in a time of crisis. We keep the ability to have commercial flights supporting our local residents and bringing in tourists to help our local economy. We also protect the survival of a financially sustainable airport, at the same time bringing the opportunity for more shops, more accommodation, and maybe even a hotel.

Finally, when I started this campaign I sought input from, and collaboration with, iwi. This hybrid solution of an airport and commercial development leaves an opportunity for the original owners of the land to take a prominent role in this. It could be through ownership or management, it could be in development or restoring mana whenua.

I’m pleased to see some really productive progress taking place, and I still strongly believe in the future of our airport. I hope to see a community asset preserved in a way that opens the door to opportunity and progress. This is entirely possible and I’m open to working with anyone who can help us realise that vision.

–– Tim Costley, MP for Ōtaki

---

In 2020, when Kāpiti Coast Airport’s private owners signalled their intention to shut down operations with just two weeks’ notice, former Air Force pilot and then-Ōtaki electorate candidate Tim Costley formed the Save Kāpiti Airport group.

Bringing together Air Chathams, Sounds Air, the Kāpiti Aero Club, local businesses, and the Kāpiti Coast Chamber of Commerce, the group mobilised quickly to protect the runway and secure the airport’s immediate future. Public meetings, widespread community support, and polling that showed over 80 percent of locals opposed closure, gave the campaign its mandate.

Nearly five years on, the airport remains operational — a testament to that early action and to the community’s determination not to be cut off from critical air connections –– but its future still hangs somewhat in the balance.

As Te Kāhui Mahi advances its vision for a long-term, co-created future of the airport and surrounding whenua, it is encouraging to have the ongoing support of our local MP who understands the history, and continues to advocate for the resilience, connectivity, and opportunities that a functional airport brings to the region.

Now what we need is support –– from our local community, local business owners, local leadership, Council and economic development partners –– so that tangata whenua can lead the realisation of this vision, with the support of investors who see the potential for the long term.

We invited Tim to write this piece to show the depth of his ongoing support for Kāpiti Coast Airport and the surrounding whenua.