Airfield lights tested for Queenstown night flights

  • 27/04/2016
Airfield lights tested for Queenstown night flights

Queenstown's $1.65 million airport lighting project was put to the test tonight, meaning after-dark flights are a step closer.

The new runway, taxiway, approach and apron lights are in place and the final stages of the nearly $20 million upgrade to the runway are nearly complete.

Passengers will be able to make the most of winter hours in the resort town with the evening flights.

Engineers inspected the lights via helicopter, after being tested during the day last week. The lights were turned on and off as part of the process, while the helicopter buzzed around at varying altitudes, flying aircraft approach and departure paths.

Around 200 LED lights have been installed or repositioned.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) was onsite during the flight inspections to give their approval, with the final tick from Queenstown Airport.

The runway has been undergoing upgrading for the past six months. It's involved widening the runway from 30m to 45m and resurfacing it with a 110mm overlay.

Both the runway and airfield lighting upgrades were key conditions set by New Zealand's CAA and Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority when approving the airport's evening flights safety case in 2014.

Newshub.