CHRISTCHURCH AIRPORT

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28492, 23 January 1958, Page 12

CHRISTCHURCH AIRPORT

U.S. Consultants To Advise

Mr L. Fisher, a principal of Lee, Fisher and Associates, United States airport consultants, will be invited to visit Christchurch shortly to advise the City Council on future administration of the Christchurch airport, particularly on how tp make an airport pay for itself and show a profit, and on the work of the airport manager, still to be appointed by the council.

Mr Fisher is expected in Wellington before the end of this month to advise the Wellington City Council on Rongotai airport control and to supervise a plan for the set-up of the terminal building and the layout of associated offices there. A. recommen-

dation that his services be engaged by Christchurch will be made by the airport committee to the council on Monday evening. Cr. A. R. Guthrey, chairman of the committee, said yesterday that the consultant’s visit was allied with the appointment of a manager. Applications for the position of manager would not close until the end of next month, but already some applications had been received from overseas.

The committee was keeping an open mind about the type of person it wanted for the position, he said. He need not be a highlyqualified man from overseas. He could well be a New Zealander with administrative ability. He visualised that the manager would be sent to the United States to look at airfields of similar size there and return via Australia.

Of the consultants, Cr. Guthrey said the council could retain the consultants or send its manager to them in the United States, or do neither if the man appointed was highly qualified. The council was working to the Borgeson plan, but Mr Fisher might be able to assist in planning and siting by amplifying the report. Nothing would be done to commit the council until the committee had had a full discussion with Mr Fisher. There were many aspects of airport development and control still to be decided, he said, but a first step was- to get a manager. GCA Equipment One of the things the council would want the manager to examine overseas would be ground control approach equipment. Concessions at the airport, or the lease of premises to businesses and other organisations, were one means of making the airport pay, and they were something a manager could investigate, he continued; The council had yet to decide whether to call tenders, whether two or three companies in the same line should be granted space to stimulate competition, or whether to decide space on application. Rental Cara Already there had been applications for space at the airport, he said. A rental car firm wanted to offer cars for hire to travellers. Other applicants wanted to open garages at the airport to sell petrol and oil to the public and to take charge of a car for servicing while the owner was away on a trip. Department stores wanted display space, a businessman was interested in opening a bookstall and tobacconist's shop and another wanted to open a hairdressing saloon. The problem was to provide facilities without cluttering the place up too much, Cr. Guthrey said. To cope with parking problems, it was probable that parking meters would be installed at the airport; but for special days when there were crowds of sightseers, special parking areas would have to be provided. There would probably be a small charge, and access to the flat roof of the new terminal building would probably have to be paid for on the special occasions.

Cr. Guthrey said he looked forward to the airport becoming a seif - contained, self - supporting undertaking similar to the Municipal Electricity Department.