We are proud to be joining the Queenstown Airport (ZQN) Sustainability Pledge. This pledge is designed to bring members of the Queenstown Airport community together to champion sustainability across our campus and contribute to a thriving community and to collectively reduce the environmental impacts of all our operations.
The Vision is to showcase an innovative airport that people love to travel through and the community takes pride in. The Mission is to proudly connect our home within Queenstown Airport to New Zealand and the World. This involves championing the following actions:
Champion the Tiaki Promise
Glenorchy Air is a champion of the Tiaki Promise and we encourage all those travelling with us to care for the beautiful place we call home.
Support Renewable Electricity
Glenorchy Air will purchase 100% renewable energy, in partnership with Queenstown Airport, who have committed to obtaining renewable energy certification to ensure that all the electricity used and facilitates within the airport is from renewable sources.
Prioritise a Resilient Built Environment
Being aware of the environmental costs of our business decisions will lead to better outcomes for our planet and will often times result in cost savings through increased operational efficiency. A big way we are championing this is how we’ve curated our fleet. We have increased our capacity, while reducing our fleet size. We have purchased new vans for pickups and dropoffs for our shared passenger service to reduce the amount of those self-driving to the airport.
Commit to Reducing and Eliminating Waste to Landfill
We support the Queenstown Airport campaign to eliminate single-use cups by the year end 2023. All of our staff use reusable coffee cups and water bottles and we advocate for our customers to do the same when booking with us. We actively recycle and review the products we use and receive with the aim of making sustainable choices and reducing our carbon footprint.
Support a Thriving Community
We actively contribute to causes that support our wild world. We donate $1 per passenger who flies with us to the Kea Conservation Trust to preserve and protect these birds. We make donations to the New Zealand Conservation Trust to support their important work in kiwi recovery, biodiversity projects and education. We also support Ghost Diving New Zealand, where our donations go toward their annual clean up mission in Fiordland National Park and all across New Zealand coastlines.
Measure and then Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
We are currently taking steps to measure, map and understand our carbon footprint by year end 2023 and aim to set emission reduction targets for our business by or before year end 2025.
* We became a Toitū Carbon Reduce certified business in February 2025.
Be an Employer of Choice by Paying the Living Wage
We recognise that it is our people that create the memorable experiences that Queenstown is known for. Making sure the needs of our staff are met is fundamental to creating a happier workplace and providing a positive visitor experience. Queenstown Airport has been Living Wage accredited since 2019 and at Glenorchy Air, we are committed to paying all of our staff above the living wage.
Join the Airport Champions Committee
We are a part of the Airport Champions Committee and meet twice a year to discuss progress. We also have agreed to provide regular updates of our journey to Queenstown Airport Corporation on our efforts in relation to the ZQN Sustainability Pledge.
Create a Welcome, Inclusive, and Diverse Airport Experience
We champion a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment for all of our staff, passengers and members of the public. We strive to have a diverse workforce, ensuring everyone feels support to the their true selves, regardless of gender, sexuality, ethnicity or culture. We will visibly support the Pride Pledge and the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Lanyard, a symbol used globally to produce those with non-obvious disabilities.
To learn more about our commitment to sustainability, click here.
