Wellington Airport has hit back at the Regional Council's assessment of its proposed runway extension's economic benefits, labelling it a desktop exercise.
Air New Zealand plane taking off from Wellington Airport. Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson
A report by Council officers found the net economic benefits could be overstated by nearly $800 million, and there could be a cost blowout during construction.
In an opinion piece in today's Dominion Post, airport chief executive Steve Sanderson said that assessment was not based on best-practice engineering analysis.
He said the tender process for the contract would ensure the extension was built at a competitive price.
Mr Sanderson said the airport still had confidence in its own analysis, which showed a net economic benefit of $2.3 billion - rather than the Council's estimated $1.5 billion.