Hawke’s Bay Airport is continuing to experience significant growth with an increase of over 15% in passenger numbers across the last 12 months.
The Financial Year ended June 2017 saw 652,426 passengers pass through the Airport, 85,995 more people compared to the financial year 2016. The substantial increase in passenger movements builds on a similar growth percentage in 2015, with the cumulative growth over the last two years totalling 37% - over 175,000 passengers.
“The increased number of flights in and out of Hawke’s Bay, and larger aircraft carrying more passengers, coupled with the region’s vibrant events calendar and a strong economy, have all contributed to the increase in passenger movements,” explained Hawke’s Bay Airport CEO, Nick Story.
“The Airport is considered a critical enabler of local economic growth which is why the upcoming Airport Expansion project will be so important to the region," said Mr Story.
The construction stage of the terminal redevelopment project, which will include more contemporary baggage collection facilities and a new café, is scheduled to start before the end of the year.
"While passenger's and visitors to the Airport may experience some inconvenience due to the terminal upgrade over the coming months, we are confident that all users of the Airport will be very pleased with the end result” said Mr Story.
More announcements in relation to the upcoming Airport Expansion Project are anticipated over the coming weeks.