Construction fences surround the forecourt, in front of the terminal at Hawke's Bay Airport. Photo: RNZ
An opening date has finally been confirmed for the Hawke's Bay Airport's forecourt, more than a year after it was due to be finished.
A new terminal at the airport opened in August last year and a revamped forecourt was supposed to open around the same time.
But more than a year later, it is still surrounded by construction fences.
Airport staff declined an interview but in a statement, a spokesperson said it had been delayed because of the impacts of Covid-19 on supplies of materials and the availability of contractors.
"Hawke's Bay Airport Limited's first priority was to complete the terminal, for obvious reasons. The airport team is satisfied the extra time to complete the forecourt is worth it in terms of it being a fitting statement of our region, for visitors."
A ceremony to open the forecourt is scheduled for November 22.
The airport was also able to turn a $687,000 loss into an $800,000 profit for the 2021-22 financial year by revaluing assets, to help align the assets with industry standard values.
"The company also corrected a mistake in the way a parcel of land had been classified previously," the spokesperson said.