Sustainable Tarras believes Christchurch Airport board should withdraw its support for a proposed new airport in Central Otago, following the departure of CEO Malcolm Johns.

Johns announced yesterday he would be stepping down.

His resignation follows swiftly on the back of the airport’s 75% owner Christchurch Council Holdings (CCHL) losing its chief executive officer, chair and a director - all within a fortnight. CCHL is 100% owned by Christchurch City Council.

Whilst CEO, Johns has been the chief sponsor of the project to build a new international airport over 380km away at Tarras.

It would provide a route for wide-bodied jets into the lower South Island, bringing thousands more tourists and rivalling smaller regional airports like Invercargill and Queenstown.

He first actioned the idea of a new international airport in Central Otago in 2018, claiming it to be "an intergenerational opportunity". Since that time, $45 million has been spent on land acquisitions at Tarras, with millions more on planning and project delivery.

Community group Sustainable Tarras says that there are many compelling reasons why this project should be cancelled.

Marilyn Duxson, deputy chair of Sustainable Tarras, said: "Malcolm Johns has committed the business to millions of dollars of investment, with no business case, no public discussion and no social licence in Central Otago or Christchurch to do so.

"All at a time when the significant carbon impacts of aviation are in the spotlight, a climate emergency has been declared, and the central government is actively working on new legislation that further protects our climate.

"We see a very different intergenerational opportunity for our children and grandchildren."

She says that so much has changed since Johns first came up with the airport idea in 2018 "that it would be irresponsible of the board not to revisit this strategy".

"It’s interesting that Malcolm also talked about aviation emissions being a 'wicked problem' while continuing the significant spend of taxpayer and ratepayer money on this development."

Industry experts have suggested that the airport will cost more than $1 billion, and in the absence of a business case from Christchurch Airport, commentators are saying that the new airport is likely to run at a significant operating loss for decades, meaning it would take Christchurch ratepayers many years to recover their annual dividend contribution, on top of the significant project risk.