"The CEO and the board should be put on a plane and flown in any strategic direction.
That was the frank assessment from candidate Al Angus at last night's Queenstown Chamber of Commerce mayoral debate at the resort's Memorial Hall.
The airport issue was one of many canvassed during the meeting, along with infrastructure, transport and housing.
But it was one of the areas where Mayor Jim Boult has faced the strongest criticism, and has often appeared at odds with community sentiment.
When questioned about the airport issue, Mr Boult said people were "really concerned about it, and he had been listening.
"I hear the feedback, and that's why I've said that nothing will happen, either at Wanaka Airport or Queenstown Airport, until we go through the social and economic impact assessments which will inform the spatial plan.
That will be done independently. I will have nothing to do with that.
Mayoral challenger Nik Kiddle proposed an "airport summit.
He wanted to stop the planned social and economic impact assessments "until we can all get around the table.
And as for Mr Angus, he believed current levels of traffic should be maintained, and not increased.
Transport was also a hot topic.
Both Mr Boult and Mr Kiddle took shots at the NZ Transport Agency over delays in getting projects off the ground.
Mr Boult said "if you want to go out and slash your wrists, try dealing with them, and the agency was "immovable.
Mr Kiddle described the transport agency as "a dinosaur; it's very difficult to deal with.
The meeting was the latest in a run of candidate meetings throughout the district, but just the second time all three mayoral contenders had shared a stage.
It followed criticism from the New Zealand Hotel Owners Association after Mr Boult declined to attend a proposed mayoral tourism debate.
Association chairwoman Lani Hagaman, of Scenic Hotel Group, said Mr Boult was invited to participate, but declined because he was taking part in the chamber of commerce debate, and in his view "that was enough.
Prior to the mayoral debate, the council contenders made their pitches to the audience during a meet-the-candidates session.
Further candidate meetings will be held in Kingston on Sunday, and in Frankton and Kelvin Heights next week.
