Those who enjoy flying from Kāpiti Coast to Auckland felt a shock to the system when Air New Zealand withdrew its services from Kāpiti in March 2018. This flight has since been replaced by Air Chathams, but could Air NZ’s withdrawal have been a sign that demand for the airport isn’t high enough to warrant its operation?

TDB investigated the economic value of the airport to the local community in a report commissioned by the Kāpiti Coast District Council. Overall, we found that the net economic benefits of the airport to the district are around $4.3 million per year, largely made up of the value of time savings to Kāpiti residents, the recreation value of the Kāpiti Aero Club and some additional visitor expenditure. Find out the details in the report below.