General manager property and planning Rachel Tregidga said last week QAC had applied to Environment Minister David Parker to become the airport's "requiring authority".
Ms Tregidga said if the application was approved, the requiring authority status would enable QAC to "operate the airport more efficiently" by using or changing the airport's "existing designations".
The Queenstown Lakes District Council, which is the majority owner of the QAC, has been Wanaka Airport's requiring authority until now.
As an example of how it has used that authority, in 2013 the QLDC achieved district plan change 26 designating noise boundaries on land around the airport to "accommodate future growth" at Wanaka Airport.
A council report at the time said the noise boundaries were to accommodate "the possible introduction of scheduled flights using jet aircraft such as the Boeing 737-300 ... from about 2020 onwards."
Through the designation, noise limits were imposed on the airport, and new development near the airport "sensitive to aircraft noise" became a prohibited activity.
The public was consulted and a hearing panel considered submissions.
Often, designations are intended to protect from development land likely to be needed for future infrastructure.
Last year, for example, after a long-running legal battle, the QAC was successful in having its designation over land it wants for expansion along the southern boundary of Queenstown Airport upheld by the Environment Court.
The land is owned by Remarkables Park Ltd but as a requiring authority, the QAC is now able to acquire it under the Public Works Act, paying compensation for doing so.
All local authorities are requiring authorities, as are infrastructure providers.
