Wellington Airport has welcomed fast-track approval for its southern seawall renewal project, which will help protect the airport from the forces of the Southern Ocean.
“Wellington Airport’s seawalls were constructed starting in 1954, and from that date various improvements and extensions have been added. The southern seawall is now reaching the end of its lifespan and needs a major upgrade,” said Wellington Airport chief executive Matt Clarke.
“The south end of the airport runway faces directly into the Southern Ocean. Wave heights in the Cook Strait regularly exceed 10 metres and require substantial seawall defences to withstand major weather events. The renewed seawall will protect airport operations for decades to come, so we can continue connecting Wellington to the world.”
Clarke said that the seawall project was the first in the Wellington region to be granted a fast-track consent, and that years of work have gone into planning this project, including optioneering, design and constructability assessments, and careful consultation with airlines, councils, iwi and local residents.
“This approval reflects that hard work, and we’ll continue to work closely with all of our neighbours and stakeholders throughout the delivery of the project.”
The project will completely overlay a new seawall over the old one, using large concrete armour units and rock.
Enabling works are likely to begin this year, and construction is planned to begin in the Airport’s 2029-2034 capital planning period, subject to further consultation with airlines.
This news followed the release of Wellington Airport’s financial results for the 12 months to 31 March 2026, which highlighted solid earnings and the completion of other major airfield and terminal upgrades.
Strong commercial performance alongside a four percent increase in international passengers has helped achieve an EBITDAF of NZD 133.4 million, up from last year’s NZD 130.2 million.
In this period, the airport hosted 5.1 million travellers, down slightly from 5.3 million last year, and achieved a net profit after tax of NZD 15.7 million.
“It’s been a year of delivery for Wellington Airport with significant upgrades completed to our runway and terminal,” added Clark.
“The EMAS runway system is an important safety project that also opens opportunities to connect Wellington directly to long-haul destinations.”
More news here.
