The second stage of Nelson Airport's new state-of-the-art terminal was officially opened this morning.
Photo: Supplied
It has been about four years in the making and is two-and-a-half times larger than the previous terminal, with a footprint of 5500sqm. The first stage of the terminal was opened to the public last October.
The terminal is the first major project to use a self-correcting seismic isolation system developed by Auckland University.
Airport chief executive Rob Evans said the new building had a uniquely local feeling, and most of the timber used in the construction was sourced from the Nelson-Tasman district.
"It's all modular so it can be expanded anytime should the need arise. We have a lot more facilities in terms of toilets and retail and much bigger airline lounges," he said.
"The whole structure is made out of timber grown locally in the Nelson-Tasman forest and the engineering and manufacturing of all the timber structure has been done by Nelson Pine."
Photo: Supplied.
The roof panels were prefabricated onsite, and the building is also passively ventilated, using high windows and solar chimneys.
The new terminal building struggled with overheating issues last summer.
Staff and passengers said they were surprised that it felt hotter inside the terminal than out and had questioned why it did not have air-conditioning throughout the building.
In 2018, Nelson Airport recorded a 12 percent rise in profit due in part to passenger growth and development of its new terminal. Revenue also increased for the fifth year in a row by $1m on the previous financial year.
