A new hub for rental car operators has opened today at Nelson Airport, providing a modern front of house experience for customers and tenants - and signaling a new phase of airport improvements to deliver a world class airport.
The new rental kiosk is the first significant property development the airport has undertaken since the new terminal opened in October 2019. The arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020 and its severe impact on people’s ability and willingness to travel led the airport to halt all non-essential investments.
Previously the rental car companies operated out of portacabins beside the Main carparking area at the Airport. The new kiosk and associated rental car parking now sits directly in front of the terminal, in a building designed to complement the award-winning terminal façade.
The rental car kiosk houses rental car operators Avis, Budget, Hertz/Thrifty, Europcar, Ezi Car Rental, NZ Rent A Car, and GO Rentals, which has opened its first Nelson branch at the airport.
Chief executive Mark Thompson said passenger numbers had been strong throughout 2022, matching 2019 volumes in the past few months.
“Pre-Covid we had more than a million passengers a year through the terminal. Obviously, that dropped right back during the height of the pandemic, to about half that level of activity. We’ve seen a strong rebound in travel this year, and we’re forecasting 800,000 passengers in the 2022-2023 financial year.
“It’s exciting to be at a point where we can invest in facilities and services to further improve the experience people have when visiting the gateway to our region. Our vision is ‘to be a world-class airport where zero emissions aircraft operate’ and this is a step towards that future.”
Over the next couple of months, visitors to the airport will see improvements including a heightened Customer Service focus in the terminal with a service kiosk for personal assistance. A property development plan for the wider airport precinct is also underway, Mark said.
The building was blessed by iwi on Tuesday morning prior to opening to the public on Wednesday 12 October.