New report highlights $2 billion contribution of Wellington Airport

A new economic impact report estimates Wellington Airport contributes over 14,500 jobs and $2 billion in GDP to the Wellington region’s economy.

The report was completed by Business and Economic Research (BERL). It highlights how the airport enables industries like export education, trade and tourism as well as business, personal and cultural exchanges.

At the airport precinct itself there are around 1600 full-time equivalent roles for over 100 different employers, including airlines, engineers, retail, hospitality, government agencies and transport services.

Wellington Airport chief executive Matt Clarke says:

“Most people instinctively know how important a major airport is to a region, but this analysis gives solid numbers to quantify this.

“It highlights the benefits of different industries that wouldn’t exist in the same shape or form without the connectivity air travel brings.

“Wellington is an isolated city on the edge of the world. The airport bridges the gap to the rest of New Zealand and beyond, allowing successful businesses to base themselves here – it’s a long drive to Auckland for a sales meeting.

“As just one example, in 2024 over 234,000 international visitors will arrive in Wellington via the airport and spend $375 million in the region.”

The full report is available here.