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Airports

An airport is a place where aircraft such as aeroplanes and helicopters take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport. An airport has at least one surface such as a runway for an aeroplane to take off and land. They often include buildings such as control towers, hangars and terminals.

The heart of a community

Airports play an important part in the community. They help to connect businesses, families and friends. They also make full participation in many sporting and cultural events possible.

Domestic airports

Domestic airports handle only domestic flights - flights within the same country. Domestic airports do not have customs? and immigration? facilities and so they can't handle flights to or from another country.

Domestic airports normally have short runways, big enough to handle short or medium haul (travel distance) aeroplanes. They don’t usually have any security checks.

Domestic airports make every part of New Zealand accessible, from Kaitaia Airport in the far north to Ryan’s Creek Aerodrome on Stewart Island/Rakiura.

International airports

International airports have customs and immigration facilities for passengers arriving from other countries. These airports are generally larger than domestic airports. They usually have longer runways and facilities to accommodate the bigger aeroplanes used for international travel. International airports usually have domestic flights (flights within the country) too.

These are New Zealand’s international airports:

  • Auckland Airport - New Zealand's largest airport and a hub for many international flights.
  • Hamilton Airport - operates international flights to Australia.
  • Rotorua Airport - offers regular flights to and from Sydney.
  • Wellington Airport - international gateway to the lower North Island, New Zealand's capital city and Australia.
  • Christchurch Airport - our second largest airport and the one most international visitors use to enter the South Island.
  • Dunedin Airport - a small airport, servicing the lower South Island and offering flights to Australia.
  • Queenstown Airport - offers flights to Australia.

New Zealand airports

The following document is a list of all the airports in New Zealand. You will see that some are called airports, whereas others are called aerodromes.

Key difference: An aerodrome is any place from where flights can take place. This can include an airstrip in the middle of nowhere to an airport in the biggest city in the world. An airport is a special type of aerodrome that has met certain requirements of the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO) that a regular aerodrome has not. All airports are aerodromes, but not all aerodromes are airports. Got it?

New Zealand airports (Word - 57k)

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An airport is a place where aircraft such as aeroplanes and helicopters take off and land. Image: CIAL.

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Airports play an important part in the community. Image: CIAL.

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There are two basic types of airports: domestic and international. Image: LEARNZ.

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Airports make every part of New Zealand accessible, from Kaitaia Airport in the far north to Ryan’s Creek Aerodrome on Stewart Island/Rakiura. Image: LEARNZ.

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