With a 22% stake in the company, the new council is Auckland Airport’s biggest shareholder by far, which is good news for the airport as the Auckland’s new Mayor Len Brown at his inaugural council meeting stressed that he will go ahead with the rail link to airport project.

“We will fix Auckland's transport system. We will build an inner city loop. We will have rail connecting the city to the airport. And we will bring rail to the North Shore,” the mayor said in his speech.

“This initiative is designed to give communities assurance that the projects they have identified as important to their previous councils are carried over, and it's designed to get go forward on some initiatives I was elected on - like getting designation for the airport rail link, which I'll be instructing Auckland Transport to move ahead with.”

Auckland Airport’s Senior Communications Manager Richard Llewellyn says the airport has started working with the incoming councillors and executive team who officially take over on 1 November.

Llewellyn is confident the airport can help the new mayor and council achieve their goals – one of which is a rail link from the city to the airport, part of Len Brown’s $10 billion transport plan for Auckland city.

“We will ensure we have the appropriate infrastructure required to accommodate ambitious growth, deliver outstanding passenger experiences, and provide the best possible first impressions of Auckland,” says Llewellyn.

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