A South African by birth, and a New Zealander by choice, Anton Malan quit farming to join the Queenstown Airport Emergency Service in mid-2019. He became a crew chief but – not one to sit still – he wanted to continue developing new skills.
The airport company supported him to study for a diploma in facilities and asset management. As well as working fulltime, he completed eight papers over two years, and began tackling projects for the airport's Assets and Facilities team. Eventually, he was seconded into that team as a Project Manager, a role that became permanent on 1 July 2024.
Much of Anton's work is still airside, where his knowledge of the airfield is invaluable. He managed the construction of a French drain to protect the runway from water and recently oversaw a comprehensive LiDAR survey of the runway. He also managed the installation of an emergency diesel supply.
"It's one of those things you hope you never need, but it would be critical to keep the airport operating should a natural disaster ever strike."
Anton is now taking charge of complex work to assess the airfield power and lighting, which Airways New Zealand wants to transfer to QAC, and is also preparing for the resealing of Car Park B.
However, his first major project – the replacement of stairs with solar-powered aircraft access ramps – is still his favourite. The ramps are fully enclosed, and have handrails, a low gradient and anti-slip flooring, which makes them safer to use than stairs they are replacing. They also make it quicker to get passengers on and off aircraft and improve accessibility.
Getting the components sent from the ramp manufacturer in England and assembling them in Queenstown was complicated, but Anton says the effort was worthwhile.
“Watching a child in a wheelchair being able to board together with their family was really satisfying.”
