Queenstown Airport CEO Glen Sowry likens the raft of projects signalled in its draft masterplan to a ‘‘game of Tet ris with a live airport’’.

The draft plan, guiding infrastructure improvements over the next decade, was released for public consultation on Wednesday.

Key projects include relocating general aviation — helicopters will be consolidated north of the runway and fixed-wing aircraft in a new precinct south of it — and constructing a new parallel taxiway to improve efficiency and reduce emissions.

An ‘‘engineered materials arresting system’’, or EMAS, is also planned at each end of the runway, which will, essentially, catch a plane were it to over-run.

Sowry says that system’s in use in airports around the world and, to date, has been used about 40 times, without a single loss of life or aircraft.

He says it was once described to him like a ‘‘creme brulee’’ — it has a hard outer crust, with soft internal material, designed to capture and disperse the aircraft’s energy, and slowly stop the plane.

Also planned are a terminal extension, an extra aircraft parking stand and prioritisation of active travel and public transport links, including a new ‘‘green link’’ connecting the airport terminal to cycle trails and a proposed ferry jetty on Lake Whakatipu.

Sowry: ‘‘I think when you boil it down, it is an absolute reflection of the 10-year strategic plan that we came up with, which was being very reflective of what we’d heard from the community and key stakeholders, so I think the masterplan brings that to life in a practical and physical sense.

‘‘It’s actually a plan that I think is really strong and I would like to think, and hope, that it will be well-received by the community.

‘‘We’re really keen to hear what the community has to say, particularly those people who use the airport regularly … and, of course, the community that lives around us and nearby.’’

The airport’s yet to do any detailed design work on any of the projects, instead waiting until such time they’re confident it’ll be approved — hopefully by the end of this year.

Sowry says one of the early projects will be to develop the new helicopter infrastructure and fixed-wing precinct, which will unlock the land around Lucas Place.

Part of that land’s pegged for an expanded transport precinct, and it’ll be dissected by the green link, with the balance proposed for ‘‘airport-related commercial activity’’.

They’ll also look to build the parallel taxiway ‘‘relatively early’’ and construct the EMAS.

‘‘Within the masterplan, there are a whole series of initiatives or plans that we have which will be sequenced and phased … over the rest of this decade.

‘‘There’s a lot to do.

‘‘But I think it’s really exciting for the airport and the region … We’re not trying to be a big global player.

‘‘What we want to be is a world-class airport that’s reflective of the destination at an appropriate scale.’’

Feedback on the plan, available from the airport’s website, closes on June 23.

Along with a series of pop-up info sessions, a lunchtime webinar’s being held on May 31.

tracey,[email protected]

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