The need for equity to meet the rapid growth of Queenstown Airport was mentioned in the final talk of the 2010 NZ Airport Conference on Friday, but the controversial decision to sell almost a quarter of the airport's shares to Auckland International Airport Ltd (AIAL) was not.
During his address, Rapid Growth and the Auckland Connection, in closed session to 90 delegates, Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) chief executive Steve Sanderson talked about the strategic alliance and working together to promote Queenstown.
"In Auckland, they are already promoting Queenstown to wholesalers, so the strategic alliance is really all about growing the town and developing new routes into New Zealand."
Mr Sanderson said the half a dozen questions from delegates revolved around meeting growth and encouraging airlines to develop new routes.
He did not get any specific questions about the share deal because he did not touch on the subject, he said.
"The crux of my presentation was around [the] rapid growth the town is experiencing, not just in winter but in summer now, how that growth is through transport through the airport and [it's] year-on-year double-digit growth and to meet that growth the airport needs to increase its capacity and infrastructure."
The controversial strategic alliance, under which QAC created and sold a 24.99% new shareholding to AIAL for $27.7 million, was announced publicly on July 8.
A High Court hearing on the alliance between QAC and AIAL is expected to take place next year.
