On the couch with Nelson Airport CEO Mark Thompson

Nelson Airport’s new CEO Mark Thompson has had a career working with transport, infrastructure and logistics. He says those skills will help him make the region’s “rock-star” airport even better.

You have only been in this job a few months and were chosen out of 87 applicants. What past experience have you had?

I have been fortunate to have had a rich and fascinating career in the transport, infrastructure, logistics, supply chain and travel industries. I started working life as a courier owner/driver in the 1980s, before taking the reins as the general manager of Courier Post in 1995. A number of overseas posts followed in great places like Chicago and Sydney, ending up back in New Zealand in 2015 as general manager of Interisland Operations for KiwiRail which was a terrific job. I always believe in moving on when I feel I have made all the difference I can and this role seemed the perfect next fit that could make the most of all the skills I have developed over the years.

How significant is Nelson Airport as a New Zealand regional hub?

It is extremely important. Latest post-Covid figures cement our place as the sixth busiest airport in the country and the top regional one with, pre-Covid, over a million people transiting through here each year. To put it in perspective, that is the same as what the interisland ferries transport annually. We are a gateway for tourism, commerce and freight which makes us a critical strategic asset for the region as a whole.

You seem to be extremely excited about this new role. Why is that?

I know the airport well thanks to the years of commuting through it and I am very excited about the prospects for development and making it a truly fabulous experience for people to enjoy, not just for those arriving and departing but also for the local Nelson and Tasman communities to utilise for other reasons. Our existing visitor numbers show that we are already a rock-star airport and are perfectly placed geographically to become an even bigger hub of activity. We have plenty of land and ideas in the pipeline such as complementing the great biking and walking facilities in the area, providing more places to catch up with friends for a drink, shopping, more businesses on site, a solar farm so we can produce our own power, a facility to produce hydrogen and possibly even some accommodation. It is vitally important that any decision made has to promote safety and sustainability and keep our carbon footprint as minimal as possible while contributing prosperity to the region.

Covid is the elephant in the room. How has it affected the airport?

Clearly it has constrained everyone in some way or other and we are no different. Auckland provides fifty percent of our customers and when it went into lockdown the impact was substantial. When I started the job I was the only one here for the first two weeks while everyone else was working from home. It was a very peculiar experience. Since then we have been planning rigorously as a team to put everything possible in place to protect our staff bubbles and ensure that the airport is open for business, regardless of what happens.

How is the rest of the summer looking?

Summer figures are looking great and we are doing our very best to promote Nelson Tasman and the events and activities coming up. I want the Nelson Airport to be the jewel in the region’s crown and every day I come to work I am filled with excitement about what we can do to help the whole region grow and prosper and make the airport a vital and fun destination along the way.