The beds are designed to safely bring an aircraft to a controlled stop with minimal damage should one overshoot the runway.

The airport currently operates with a minimum runway end safety area (RESA) of 90 meters, which complies with civil aviation regulations. 

Queenstown Airport Acting Chief Executive Todd Grace said that the EMAS will substantially increase the margin of safety, providing the same protection as a 240-meter RESA.

鈥淩unway overruns are rare, but the consequences can be catastrophic, so we want to do everything possible to mitigate that risk here,鈥� Grace said in a statement.

Work will begin in spring 2024 (mid-September) and is expected to be completed by the end of summer (end of February 2025). 

The airport said that flight schedules will not be disrupted, and the types of aircraft that may land at Queenstown Airport will remain the same.

The project is estimated to cost more than NZD 20 million ($12.2 million).

The EMASMAX system uses energy-absorbing cellular cement blocks designed to crush under the weight of an aircraft, slowing it to a stop. 

128 EMASMAX beds are currently installed worldwide. The majority are in the United States, with others located in Norway, the United Kingdom, Spain, Saudi Arabia, China, and Taiwan. 

Major airports using the technology include John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), London City Airport (LCY), and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL).

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), EMAS syste ms have safely stopped aircraft from overshooting runways in 21 incidents so far.

US Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft overshoots runway in Hawaii, crashes into water

• Defense

byJean Carmela Lim

2023-11-21

Celebrating its 15^th anniversary, Jetstar revealed on June 26, 2024, that its operational increase will include new routes and relocating an additional Airbus A320 aircraft to New Zealand.听聽

The airline will kick things off with new services between Christchurch and Cairns, and Auckland and the Sunshine Coast (Maroochydore) plus an increase in capacity on domestic routes from Christchurch to Auckland and Auckland to Wellington. 

Over the next 12 months the new strategic plan will also include increasing the domestic services in New Zealand and adjusting its Christchurch to Melbourne flight times to improve connectivity to its long-haul international network. 

The additional Airbus A320 will become Jetstar精东影业 eighth to be based in New Zealand and represents the first time the carrier has expanded its fleet in the country in more than 10 years.   

鈥淭his month we鈥檙e celebrating our 15th birthday in New Zealand, and as we mark this milestone, we鈥檙e really excited to be entering such a significant period of growth. Over the past 15 years, we鈥檝e helped make travel more accessible for millions of New Zealanders and this expansion will help to unlock hundreds of thousands of low fares and more choice for our customers and provide a significant boost to tourism on both sides of the Tasman,鈥� said Jetstar Group CEO, Stephanie Tully.  

The Jetstar head added: 鈥淗aving another aircraft based in Christchurch, as well as the launch of new flights and capacity, will help establish the city as a major gateway for Jetstar in New Zealand, providing more choice and great low fares for South Island residents.鈥� 

Queensland Tourism Minister and State Member for Cairns said that the new flights will 鈥済o some way to alleviating the pain of losing Bonza Airlines鈥�.听

鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to see yet another international service booked for Cairns with a three-year commitment by Jetstar for three weekly services from Christchurch to Cairns, starting in April 2025. Sunshine Coast Airport will also benefit from three weekly Jetstar services arriving from Auckland starting in December 2024,鈥� Healy said.听

Exploring the use of robotics and automation to enhance airport ground handling

• Aviation Technology and Innovation

byJean Carmela Lim

2024-07-06

The incident occurred on June 17, 2024.

Flight VA 148 departed Queenstown Airport (ZQN) in New Zealand, for Melbourne Airport (MEL) at approximately 17:48 local time. 

Shortly after takeoff, flames were seen billowing out from one of the aircraft engines. 

Video footage taken of the flight by residents watching the fiery incident unfold were shared on social media, including X (formerly Twitter).

The plane, carrying 67 passengers and six crew members, was forced to perform an emergency landing at Invercargill Airport (IVC), more than 180 kilometers south of Queenstown Airport

A spokesperson for Virgin Australia told 精东影业 that the plane had landed safely at IVC Airport and the engine fire was due to a suspected bird strike.

The airline said that while emergency service personnel were on the ground at IVC Airport, it is currently not aware of any reported physical injuries to its guests or crew. 

Passengers were provided with overnight accommodation in Invercargill and bus transport services were arranged back to Queenstown Airport where passengers took an afternoon flight onward to Melbourne Airport on June 18, 2024.

鈥淲e wish to express our appreciation for the support of Invercargill Airport, Emergency Services, local Air New Zealand team members and our crew onboard in helping to support tonight精东影业 response effort,鈥� the airline said.

Southwest Airlines fired pilot who spoke in Spanish during engine fire incident

• Airlines

byJean Carmela Lim

2024-05-23

The New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and around 52 business leaders and reporters were left stranded after the Boeing 757 suffered from a 鈥渇use issue鈥�, according to .听

Prime Minister Luxon left New Zealand on June 16, 2024, for Tokyo in Japan for a four-day trip to promote business and meet with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. 

However, when refueling in the capital of Papua New Guinea it became apparent that the aircraft, registered NZ7571, would not be able to complete the journey.听聽

While Prime Minister Luxon was able to catch a commercial flight from Papua New Guinea to Japan the delegation stayed overnight and were due to fly to Brisbane in Australia to catch an Air New Zealand flight to Tokyo. 

According to the New Zealand Herald the group will fly to Brisbane onboard the Boeing 757 at low altitude.  

Air New Zealand Chief Executive Greg Foran, who was among the delegation, reportedly helped make the alternative travel arrangements.  

The New Zealand Defense Minister Judith Collins said the episode was 鈥渆mbarrassing鈥� and the Prime Minister solely using commercial flights in the future was an option.  

The New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF) aircraft have faced a series of breakdowns while transporting the country精东影业 Prime Ministers.听聽

First flight of US President’s new Air Force One aircraft delayed, USAF says

• Defense

byIan Molyneaux

2024-06-16

Shortly after landing on May 31, 2024, the Jetstar Airbus A320, which had arrived from Auckland Airport (AKL), veered off the runway as the aircraft decelerated.听

In a statement issued by Jetstar, the low-cost airline said that the A320, registered VH-VFF, suffered a 鈥渟teering issue鈥� which caused the aircraft to veer from the runway at 鈥渓ow speed and onto the grass.鈥� 

Writer Diana Clement, who was on the flight, told the that the Jetstar plane 鈥渟werved wildly鈥� onto the grass leaving her 鈥渟haken鈥� by the experience.听聽

Clement said the aircraft was surrounded by fire trucks and that the aircraft had suffered a 鈥渉ydraulic leak on the right鈥�.  

Flight JQ225 left Auckland shortly after 06:30 local time before arriving in Christchurch around one hour later.听聽

Jetstar flight JQ225, an A320, apparently had a runway excursion on landing in Christchurch airport (New Zealand). No injuries reported. Updates when possible. Many thanks to for the tip on this one 鈥�

— Air Safety #OTD by Francisco Cunha (@OnDisasters)

鈥淭here were no injuries to passengers or crew,鈥� Jetstar said in its statement. 鈥淭he aircraft was towed to the gate and all passengers disembarked. We’re working with Airbus and relevant authorities to investigate what happened.鈥� 

The airline added: 鈥淲e understand this may have been a difficult experience for our customers and we thank everyone onboard for their cooperation.鈥� 

The TAIC has asked any witnesses to come forward, 鈥渆specially those who have relevant video footage鈥� the commission said.  

鈥淲e鈥檙e gathering all the usual evidence and data for the start of this sort of investigation 鈥� including the cockpit voice and flight data recordings and airport CCTV footage,鈥� Chief Investigator of Accidents Naveen Kozhuppakalam said. 鈥淥ur investigators will be seeking and recovering electronic records and interviewing aircraft crew, airport authorities, air traffic control, and witnesses.鈥� 

The commission confirmed it has appointed a dedicated investigation team of two, who are on the airport site today.   

The main runway at Christchurch Airport was initially closed following the incident but reopened at 07:45. 

鈥淧olice have confirmed there were no injuries to those onboard,鈥� the airport said in a statement. 鈥淭he terminal is open as normal.鈥澛�

Four Jetstar cabin crew hospitalized after being overcome by fumes on flight

• Aviation Safety

byJean Carmela Lim

2024-05-30

New Zealand Customs Service identified the woman as Delphine Ganon, aged 42. Ganon arrived at Auckland Airport in April 2023, and was stopped for questioning by a customs officer.

After a resulting series of investigations and searches, Ganon精东影业 suitcase was found to contain white powder in the lining that tested positive as cocaine. Five cosmetic bottle containers also contained substances that tested positive as liquified cocaine.

According to New Zealand Customs, the 4.3 kilograms of cocaine recovered from the suitcase and cosmetics bottles would have produced around 43,300 common doses, with an estimated total street value of up to NZ$1.94 million ($1.17 million). 

It精东影业 estimated that the seizing of these substances may have prevented up to NZ$1.29 million ($780,000) of social harm and cost to New Zealand.

鈥淐ustoms remains ever-alert in our daily fight to stop the flow of illegal drugs from entering New Zealand. Our officers are well-equipped to identify and stop people who think they can bring illegal substances into our communities,鈥� Paul Williams, Customs Manager at Auckland Airport said in a statement.

Ganon appeared in the Manukau District Court on May 9, 2024, and was convicted for importing and possessing a Class A controlled drug (cocaine).

Four Vietnam Airlines flight attendants arrested for smuggling drugs from Paris

• Airlines

byJean Carmela Lim

2023-03-20

The seasonal flights began on April 2, 2024, and will operate until October 26, 2024. 

The flights will be operated using the airline精东影业 fleet of A321neo aircraft. The route is currently being flown twice weekly, every Tuesday and Saturday, but will also include Thursday flights starting June 25, 2024.

鈥淲e鈥檙e thrilled to welcome our seasonal services back to Cairns and look forward to welcoming even more Aussies onboard over the next few months,鈥� Air New Zealand精东影业 General Manager of Australia, Kathryn O鈥橞rien was quoted to have said by Australian media. 

鈥淲hether you鈥檙e an adventure seeker, looking for a family getaway or a solo traveler, New Zealand has something for everyone, including stunning snow-capped mountains and pristine beaches,鈥� O鈥橞rien continued.

In 2023 1.26 million Australians traveled to New Zealand, making it the second most visited country by Australians. The first destination was Indonesia, which welcomed 1.27 million.

Passengers claim Air New Zealand kicked them off flight for being 鈥榯oo big鈥�

• Airlines

byJean Carmela Lim

2024-03-18

The news was announced by Japan精东影业 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which stated that the P-8A Poseidon aircraft will be stationed at the Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, from mid-April to early May 2024 to monitor 鈥渋llicit maritime activities, including ship-to-ship transfers鈥� by North Korean-flagged vessels.

It will be the first overseas deployment of the RNZAF P-8A for a monitoring and surveillance mission, replacing the retired P-3K2 Orion.

鈥淭his is the first time one of our Poseidons has been deployed operationally overseas, the first time we have operated in Asia, which will be the furthest deployment away from New Zealand, and the first time we have used this aircraft in support of New Zealand精东影业 contribution to uphold UN Security Council sanctions enforcement,鈥� Air Component Commander, Air Commodore Andy Scott said in a statement.

According to the (NZDF), this will be the sixth time since 2018 that it has deployed a maritime patrol aircraft and specialist personnel to detect and deter evasions of United Nations Security Council resolutions imposing sanctions against North Korea.

鈥淣orth Korea continues to launch ballistic missiles in violation of Security Council resolutions. The sanctions are intended to persuade the country to denuclearize and abandon its ballistic missile weapons capabilities,鈥� NZDF said. 

New Zealand精东影业 latest mission to monitor North Korean sanctions-evasion activities was in 2021, and the Democratic People精东影业 Republic of Korea (DPRK) then issued a , describing New Zealand精东影业 actions as 鈥渆xerting bad influence on the military and political situation around the Korean peninsula.鈥�

鈥淭he New Zealand authorities should wake up to the reality, lend an ear to the public voices and put an end to the foolish act of inviting its own disaster by following its master blindly,鈥� the statement continued.听

North Korea fires suspected intermediate-range missile

• Defense

byGabriele Petrauskaite

2024-01-14

Philip Merthens, from New Zealand, was taken on February 7, 2023 by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) when his commercial charter plane carrying five passengers was attacked after it landed safely at Paro Airfield in the remote region of Nduga.

鈥淚n order to protect humanity and ensure human rights, the Management of the Central Headquarters of the National Command, the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) will return the pilot Philip Max Martherns [sic] to his family through the Jurisdiction of the Secretary General of the United Nations,鈥� the TPNPB精东影业 Major General Terianus Satto said in a statement seen by Indonesian media.

The announcement has been made exactly a year after Merthen was abducted. No further details about the release have been given.

A spokesperson for NZ Foreign Minister Winston Peters told NZ media that New Zealand 鈥渃ontinues to work with all parties on securing Mr. Mehrtens’ safe release鈥�.

According to Indonesian media outlet Jakarta Globe, one of the reasons TPNPB is releasing Mehrtens is due to him being from New Zealand, a country that the group believes is emotionally connected to Papua.

“Most Australians and New Zealanders support Papua’s independence. We are holding him not as an enemy but as a friend who lives with TPNPB forces in the Ndugama region, Papua,” a TPNPB spokesperson told Jakarta Globe.

Snowstorms bury airports in China, disrupt Lunar New Year travel for millions

• Airport
• Civil Aviation

byJean Carmela Lim

2024-02-07

The inaugural flight, UA 730, was operated with a Boeing 787-9 (registration N28987), and departed SFO airport just after 23:30 local time. It arrived at CHC airport at around 10:30 local time after a flight time of roughly 13 hours.

Moving forward, the airline will use a 787-8 on the thrice-weekly, seasonal route until March 27, 2024 (outbound) and March 29, 2024 (return).

鈥淣ew Zealand will always be a bucket-list destination for our U.S. travelers, and this flight offers direct access to the natural wonders of the South Island,鈥� Tim Walls, United Airlines Regional Sales Manager for Australia, New Zealand and Tahiti said in a press statement.

Christchurch Airport CEO Justin Watson noted that the SFO-CHC service extends beyond tourism, becoming a catalyst for economic growth and global trade.

鈥淯nited精东影业 flights will provide much needed additional airfreight capacity for South Island exporters to get their precious cargo out quickly and onto the shelves in offshore markets,鈥� Watson said.

United Airlines becomes first US carrier to fly San Francisco to Manila nonstop

• Airlines

byJean Carmela Lim

2023-10-31