Christchurch Airport to Welcome the Royal Baby

Is it a boy? Is it a girl?

Like the rest of the world, the team at Christchurch Airport is waiting to see whether the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge welcome a baby daughter or son.

So they’re hedging their bets.

From tonight, night-time visitors to Christchurch Airport will see the terminal alternately displaying pink and blue lighting - until we get word of the baby’s birth.

Then the terminal will be baby blue or pink for the rest of the week.

The Airways control tower will join the party, also colouring up from tonight.

Christchurch Airport CEO Jim Boult says the ability of the airport terminal to change colour is very popular with visitors.

“On most nights the lighting rotates through the colours of the rainbow and we often see visitors waiting to take a photo of the terminal in their favourite colour,” says Mr Boult.

“We have the ability to celebrate all sorts of significant events in this way – including red for Chinese New Year, pink to support Breast Cancer Awareness or blue for Men’s Health Awareness. We have been known to go red and black to support the Crusaders and black and white for the All Blacks too.

“At the moment, millions of people all over the world are waiting to see whether the royal baby is a prince or princess, so we were very happy to work with Monarchy New Zealand to be lit up when the future king or queen is born.”

Mr Boult says Prince William is very much in the hearts of Cantabrians. The Prince visited Christchurch on behalf of the Queen in 2011 to attend the National Memorial Service, following the devastating earthquakes that hit the area.

The lighting colour scheme will herald the baby’s arrival to thousands of people, because every day the equivalent of the entire population of Timaru passes through the airport.

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