Multimillion-dollar apron upgrade at Nelson Airport complete

A $10 million project to reconstruct and expand Nelson Airport’s apron and upgrade airfield stormwater infrastructure is complete, improving safety, efficiency and resilience.

The airport is planning to invest a further $2.3 million in early 2026 to extend the covered walkway from the terminal to provide all-weather protection for people boarding and disembarking from aircraft parked at the southern end of the apron.

The apron is the area where aircraft park, and where passengers board and disembark. It had reached the end of its life and needed to be fully rebuilt, with work starting in November 2024 on the resurfacing. A total of 22,000 square metres of asphalt was laid, including a 6,600 square metre expansion to the existing apron. At the same time, an old concrete stormwater drain on the airfield was replaced with a larger drainage system to increase the airport’s resilience to heavy rain events.

Nelson Airport chief executive Brendan Cook said the need to fully replace the old apron provided an opportunity to redesign it for a range of safety and efficiency improvements for airlines, plus a better passenger experience.

“The new stand (aircraft parking) design has streamlined access to the terminal for all aircraft. To make this an even better experience for customers, we’ll be extending the covered walkway in early 2026 to provide good-quality sound and weather protection for all passengers moving from the terminal to their aircraft – regardless of which airline you choose to fly with or where your aircraft is parked.”

Brendan said the successful project was completed on budget and to a high quality, and had been carefully managed by the project team and contractor Fulton Hogan to minimise disruption to airline operations.

“Fulton Hogan and the wider team has done a great job in a highly complex operating environment. We’re also very grateful for the collaboration of all our airfield operators, who have worked closely with us to manage their work around the construction.”

Nelson Mayor Nick Smith commended the airport company on its continued investment in upgrading its facilities.

“The successful completion of this $10 million project is a significant milestone for Nelson Airport in expanding the space for aircraft on the apron and improving the airport’s resilience to storm events.

“The extended covered walkway planned for early 2026 will further improve the experience for passengers and is particularly important for the smaller airlines such as Originair and Sounds Air.

“I also commend the airport company on improving the Airport Perimeter Walkway, set to reopen on Saturday. This 5km coastal walkway is used by thousands of Nelsonians and, although it does not generate any revenue for the airport company, Council welcomes Nelson Airport Ltd’s continued commitment to it.”

The Airport Perimeter Walkway, which was partially closed to enable safe truck movements to and from the work site, officially reopens to the public on Saturday 20 December, and has also received a facelift. Excavated material from the apron project has been reused as fill material to level out some boggier areas of the track. Other improvements include signage and seating. All the excavated material taken from the apron has either been reused or recycled, diverting about 8000 cubic metres of material from landfill.

Brendan said: “The perimeter walkway is highly valued by the community, so we’re pleased to be able to bring it back even better than before for everyone to enjoy. We’re very grateful for the patience shown for the extended closure and hope lots of people will join us for the reopening “Back on Track” celebration on Saturday.”

The P180 Airport Perimeter Carpark prior to the airport entry barriers will also reopen by Saturday for walkway users.

Like other capital projects at Nelson Airport, including the new terminal development in 2019, the apron reconstruction work was fully funded by the airport company.