Avoiding disruption to New Zealand’s peak tourism season

As New Zealand’s largest and busiest airport, a shortfall in aircraft parking capacity at Auckland Airport at the peak summer season could have been a problem for the country’s tourism industry. But it wasn’t.

To address a predicted shortfall in aircraft parking capacity, Auckland Airport embarked on a project at its international apron. It needed two new international aircraft stands and one new taxi lane. And it needed at least one of the aircraft stands completed by December 2016, making this a very fast-tracked project indeed.

We provided design, project management and construction management services to realise this ambitious deadline. The resulting aircraft stands are flexible - they can be used by either a single Code E or F aircraft (that’s up to an A380 size) or simultaneously by two smaller Code C aircrafts (that’s up to an A320 size). The stands allow full service of aircraft and include apron fuelling, stormwater run-off capture and treatment, floodlighting and IT installations.

Due to its fast-tracked nature, construction works needed to take place over the notoriously unpredictable Auckland winter, but the contractor still excavated, filled and constructed heavy duty pavements over existing and new services. By using our 3D modelling expertise, we accurately (and critically) aligned the fuel main and hydrants (9 in total) to suit finished surface levels and other services.

Thanks to a high level of team collaboration between Auckland Airport and the contractor (Brian Perry Civil) and us, all works were completed to a very tight timeframe.