Circling in a holding pattern- parking at Wellington airport
On Tuesday, I went to the airport to collect my aunt, visiting from Seattle in the US. I spent a totally frustrating (and dangerous) 10 minutes circling narrow laneways, fruitlessly looking for a car park, witnessing near collisions as cars tried to turn into blind corners, and finally finding a car park at the remotest end of the upper level. I was inwardly seething as I went to meet my relative, and by the time I had found her, walked back to the car with luggage, run to the ticket machine (only one for the whole upper level), back to the car, and then negotiated the slalem course to the exit, it had been just over 30 minutes and I was charged a cool $7.00.
It was embarrassing, to be honest, to be welcoming someone to New Zealand’s capital city in such a manner.
Perhaps its not an extension we need, so much as a long hard look at what we already have. Because quite frankly, If I were to criticise the current Council for anything, it would be the way in which they seem to have lost all control of what is going on with the airport.
Did someone at WCC issue a resource consent for all of this? What happened to the City’s representation on the board?
I will be posting more on my position on this shortly.
Sarah Free 
Hi Sarah,
My husband and I fly quite regularly but recently we haven’t used the drop off facilities at the airport.
However we have heard fr friends and relatives regarding the confusion at the airport since the implementation of the new process for dropping people off at the airport.
I hope the Council will look into it and help to reduce the confusion at the airprot.
regards
Sue
Thanks Sue
Just dropped my husband off at the airport this morning at 4.30am from the south side. No signage whatsoever about how to navigate ones way to the upstairs drop off so we followed the exit sign and found a ‘pick up’ area. Not quite where he needed to be but nice to see that Wellington Airport finally has an official pick up area (in the 8yrs we have lived here anyway)
Having to go all the way north to the Stewart Duff/Broadway roundabout before I can turn south and then take a second ticket (with no signage to get to Lyall Bay, but thankfully a couple of temporary helpers were at the ticket vending machines to help direct) to get home was not what I would call customer friendly or easy on the environment.
Not that I make a habit of being a taxi service this early in the morning but Combined Taxis failed to show up on time…..