Auckland Airport facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Auckland Airport
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Owner | AIAL | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | Auckland International Airport Limited | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | Auckland | ||||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1928 | ||||||||||||||
| Hub for | |||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 7 m / 23 ft | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 37°00′29″S 174°47′30″E / 37.00806°S 174.79167°E | ||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||
 AKL
Location in New Zealand Auckland
AKL
Location in New Zealand
AKL
Location in Oceania
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| Runway | |||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (2018/2019) | |||||||||||||||
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Source: WAD
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Auckland Airport (IATA: AKL, ICAO: NZAA) is the biggest and busiest airport in New Zealand. Over 21 million passengers used it in the year ending March 2019. The airport is located near Mangere, about 21 kilometers (13 miles) south of Auckland city centre. It is a main hub for Air New Zealand and the New Zealand hub for Jetstar Airways.
This airport is very important for New Zealand. It creates thousands of jobs. In 2000, it handled 71% of all international air passengers coming to and leaving New Zealand. Auckland Airport is one of only two airports in New Zealand that can handle very large planes like the Boeing 747 and Airbus A380. The other is Christchurch.
The airport can handle about 45 plane movements per hour. It uses one main runway. A second runway is planned to be finished by 2025. This new runway will help handle more flights.
Contents
Airport History
Early Days and Opening
The land where Auckland Airport now stands was first used by the Auckland Aero Club. In 1928, the club rented land from a farmer for their small planes. They thought the spot was great for an airfield. It had good open areas and was free from power lines or fog. This place was known as Mangere Aerodrome.
In 1960, work began to turn the site into Auckland's main airport. It took over from an older airport called Whenuapai. A lot of the runway was built on land that was reclaimed (taken back) from the Manukau Harbour. The first flight left in November 1965. It was an Air New Zealand DC-8 heading to Sydney. The airport officially opened in January 1966 with a big air show.
When it first opened, the runway was 2,590 meters (8,500 feet) long. It was made even longer in 1973.
Terminal Upgrades and Growth
A new international terminal was built in 1977. It was named after Jean Batten, a famous New Zealand pilot. Before this, all flights used what is now the domestic terminal. In 2005, the international terminal was changed. This change separated arriving and departing passengers.
Work on a second runway started in 2007. This new runway would be mainly for smaller planes. This would free up the main runway for bigger jets. However, this project was put on hold several times due to less air travel. The plan is now to finish the second runway by 2025.
In 2009, the international terminal got an extension called Pier B. This pier was designed to handle large planes like the Airbus A380. In May 2009, Emirates was the first airline to fly the A380 to Auckland. By 2013, Emirates was using A380s for all its flights to Auckland. This made Auckland Airport one of the few airports in the world to have three Emirates A380s on the ground at the same time. Singapore Airlines also started using A380s at the airport in 2014.
In 2013, the domestic terminal also got a $30 million upgrade. This included changes to drop-off areas and roads. Baggage claim belts were made longer. A new area was added to connect the Air New Zealand and Jetstar parts of the terminal.
In 2014, the airport shared its 30-year plan. This plan aims to combine both international and domestic flights into one large building. It also includes building new domestic areas and extending current international areas. The new northern runway will be built to handle planes like the Boeing 777 and 787. There are also plans for new public transport links, like a railway station.
The airport also plans to extend Pier B further. This will add three more gates. This means Auckland Airport will be able to handle six A380 planes at once. It will also be able to handle nine Boeing 787-9 planes.
Airport Terminals
Auckland Airport has two main buildings: the International Terminal and the Domestic Terminal. They are about 500 meters (1,640 feet) apart. You can travel between them using a free shuttle bus or a walkway. The airport has 65 gates in total. 23 gates have jetbridges (covered walkways to the plane). The other 42 are remote stands where passengers take a bus to the plane.
International Terminal Features
Check-in counters for international flights are on the ground floor at the eastern end of the building.
- Gates 1–10 are in Pier A. Gate 10 can handle a large A380 plane.
- Gates 15 to 18 are in Pier B. These gates can handle A380 planes with two jetbridges. They can also handle two smaller planes at once.
- Gates 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 16A, 16B, 16C, and 16D are bus gates. Passengers use these to get to planes parked further away.
- Stands 19–20, 70–73, 82–84, and 74–81 are remote parking spots for planes.
Keeping Passengers Separate
Since 1993, airports in New Zealand must keep arriving and departing international passengers separate. This is for security reasons. Auckland Airport made changes to its terminal to do this. They built a new level for departing passengers. The old departure area became the arrivals level. This work was finished in December 2005.
Domestic Terminal Features
The two parts of the domestic terminal are now connected by a shared shopping area. The Jetstar check-in area is on the western side. The Air New Zealand check-in area is in the middle. There are nine gates with jetbridges in the domestic terminal.
- Jetstar domestic flights use gates 20–23 (with jetbridges).
- Air New Zealand mainline flights use gates 24–33. Gates 28 to 33 have jetbridges.
- Air New Zealand Link (regional flights) use gates 34–50. Passengers walk across the tarmac to these planes.
- Gates 51–59 are used by smaller airlines like Air Chathams and Barrier Air.
- Gates 101–106 are for private jets and long-term parking.
Airlines and Destinations
Auckland Airport connects to 26 places within New Zealand and 49 international destinations. These include places in North and South America, Asia, Oceania, the Middle East, and Europe. Air New Zealand has the most flights from Auckland.
Passenger Flights
Cargo Flights
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Airwork | Sydney |
| DHL Aviation | Christchurch, Melbourne, Nouméa, Sydney |
| Emirates SkyCargo | Singapore |
| FedEx Express | Guangzhou, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Sydney |
| Parcelair | Christchurch, Palmerston North |
| Qantas Freight | Cairns, Chicago–O'Hare, Christchurch, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Sydney |
| Singapore Airlines Cargo | Melbourne, Singapore, Sydney |
Airport Statistics
| Rank | Airport | Passengers | Annual change | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sydney | 1,675,918 |  3.2% |
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| 2 | Melbourne | 1,189,806 |  0.8% |
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| 3 | Brisbane | 974,002 | 1.9% |
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| 4 | Singapore | 551,956 | 25.7% |
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| 5 | Nadi | 475,708 | 6.3% |
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| 6 | Hong Kong | 470,436 | 20.4% |
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| 7 | Los Angeles | 361,121 | 2.5% |
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| 8 | Shanghai—Pudong | 339,388 | 7.8% |
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| 9 | Gold Coast | 339,155 | 31.7% |
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| 10 | Rarotonga | 289,826 | 3.1% |
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| 11 | Guangzhou | 260,175 | 3.7% |
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| 12 | San Francisco | 250,504 | 7.5% |
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| 13 | Apia—Faleolo | 230,882 | 3.3% |
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| 14 | Tokyo | 217,272 | 3.3% |
Includes Narita and Haneda airports |
| 15 | Honolulu | 190,087 | 13.4% |
Airport Company
| Public company | |
| Traded as |
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| Headquarters | Auckland, New Zealand |
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Key people
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Adrian Littlewood (CEO) Sir Henry van der Heyden (Chairman) |
| Owner | Auckland Council (22.15%) |
Auckland International Airport Limited (AIAL) is the company that runs Auckland Airport. It was created in 1988. The New Zealand Government used to own most of it. In 1998, the Government sold its shares. This made AIAL a publicly listed company, meaning people can buy shares in it.
Today, the Auckland Council owns about 22.4% of the company. Other owners include people and companies from New Zealand and other countries. AIAL is listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange and the Australian Stock Exchange.
How the Airport Makes Money
AIAL makes money in different ways. It earns money from planes landing and taking off. It also earns money from its car parks, shops, and other properties at the airport. About half of its money comes from these non-flight related sources. This helps the airport stay strong even when fewer planes are flying.
Airlines, like Air New Zealand, have sometimes said that the airport's landing fees are too high. However, studies have shown that Auckland Airport's international charges are actually a bit lower than the average of other big airports.
Until 2008, international passengers aged 12 or older had to pay a $25 departure fee. This fee was later changed. Now, airlines pay a passenger service charge for each international passenger.
Working with Queenstown Airport
In 2010, AIAL bought a share in Queenstown Airport. This created a partnership between the two airports. This partnership helps both airports grow and handle more passengers.
Getting to the Airport
By Road
Two main roads, State Highway 20A and State Highway 20B, connect to the airport. State Highway 20A goes north through Mangere to State Highway 20. State Highway 20B goes east to Wiri.
By Public Transport
- SkyBus: These express buses run between both airport terminals and central Auckland. They also go to North Harbour.
- 380 Airporter: This is a regular bus service. It connects the airport terminals to Onehunga and Manukau City.
Future Train Plans
There are plans for a train connection from the airport to central Auckland. One idea is a light rail line. This line would go through Mangere, Onehunga, and Mount Roskill. It would then connect to another light rail line to reach Queen Street in central Auckland.
By Bicycle
There are also bike paths and lanes that connect the airport to nearby areas.
Images for kids
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AKL international terminal
See also
In Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de Auckland para niños
