Wellington Airport: A Recurrent Problem in Decision Making

Abstract

rT HE aerial approach to Wellington International Airport is topographically exciting. One is strikingly aware of the juxtaposition of mountains and hills, bays and coves, and roiled coastal waters, all in close proximity (Fig. i). Rough slopes partially covered with tiered residences and other buildings, roads and tunnels, and shipping and port functions emerge. One element not apparent in this landscape is flat land. Evans Bay to the north and Lyall Bay to the south provide narrow slots for aeronautical approaches; high terrain necessitates slight deviation from a straight-in approach. The airport's single north-south runway crosses the narrow, hilly isthmus of Rongotai at right angles. Wellington International Airport is controversial. Although its aeronautical and geographical problems are evident to an observer, not so apparent from the air or from the ground are the economic and political problems that have recurrently characterized its development. Decisions on airport upgrading, closure, relocation, twin locations, reconstruction, and so forth have challenged Wellington City and Dominion government officials since the airport was opened in 1929. Wellington's location predetermines its importance as the hub of New Zealand's transport system (Fig. 2). The airport, at the southern end of the North Island, is a national and international