Auckland Airport facts for kids
Auckland Airport (AKL) is the biggest and busiest airport in New Zealand. It's located near Māngere, about 21 kilometers (13 miles) south of the Auckland city center. More than 21 million passengers used the airport in the year ending March 2019. It's a major hub for Air New Zealand and Jetstar Airways, handling both domestic and international flights.
Auckland Airport is a very important part of New Zealand's transport system. It creates thousands of jobs for people in the area. In 2000, it handled 71% of all international air passengers coming into and leaving New Zealand. It's also one of only two commercial airports in New Zealand (the other is Christchurch Airport) that can handle very large planes like the Boeing 747 and Airbus A380.
The airport can handle about 45 flights every hour using its single runway. This runway is equipped with special technology (called Cat IIIb) that helps planes land safely even in bad weather. In 2007, work began on a new northern runway, mostly for smaller planes. This would free up the main runway for larger jets. The project was paused for a while but is now expected to be finished around 2025.
Contents
History of Auckland Airport
Early Days and First Flights
The land where Auckland Airport now stands was first used as an airfield by the Auckland Aero Club. In 1928, the club rented land from a dairy farmer for their three small planes, called De Havilland Gypsy Moths. The club president thought it was a great spot because it was flat, well-drained, and clear of power lines or buildings. This early airfield was known as Mangere Aerodrome.
Building the Main Airport
In 1960, construction 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, or taken back, from the Manukau Harbour. The very first flight to leave the new airport was an Air New Zealand Douglas DC-8 plane in November 1965, heading to Sydney. The airport officially opened with a big air show from January 29 to 31, 1966.
When it first opened, the runway was 2,590 meters (8,500 feet) long. It was made even longer in 1973 to its current size. A new international terminal, named after the famous pilot Jean Batten, was built in 1977. Before this, all flights used what is now the domestic terminal. In 2005, the international terminal was changed to keep arriving and departing passengers separate for better security.
Airport Growth and Upgrades
Over the years, Auckland Airport has continued to grow and improve. In 2007, work started on a second runway to the north of the main one. This new runway would first be 1,200 meters (3,900 feet) long for smaller propeller planes. This would help the airport run more smoothly by moving smaller planes off the main runway. Later, it would be extended to 1,950 meters (6,400 feet) for small jets like the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320.
In 2009, the international terminal got a new section called Pier B. This pier is 5,500 square meters (59,200 square feet) and can handle very 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, making 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 the drop-off areas, baggage claim belts, and new walkways to connect to the jetbridges. A new floor was added to connect the Air New Zealand and Jetstar parts of the terminal, and security screening was made central for everyone.
Future Plans
In 2014, the airport shared its 30-year plan for the future. The main idea is to combine both the international and domestic operations into one large building. This means new domestic areas will be built next to the current international terminal. The plan also includes extending the current international areas and building new ones. The new northern runway will be able to handle planes up to the size of the Boeing 777 and 787 jets. There are also plans for new public transport links, like a new railway station and line.
Work began in 2015 to extend Pier B even more. This will add three more gates, allowing Auckland Airport to handle up to six A380 planes at once. It will also increase the number of Boeing 787-9 planes it can handle from six to nine.
Airport Terminals
Auckland Airport has two main terminals: 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 by walking along a marked path. The airport has 65 gates in total. 23 of these gates have jetbridges (the walkways that connect the terminal directly to the plane), and 42 are remote stands where planes park away from the terminal.
International Terminal
The 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. Most are single jetbridge gates, but Gate 10 has two jetbridges and can handle an A380 plane.
- Gates 15 to 18 are in Pier B. These gates have two jetbridges each and can handle an A380 plane, allowing passengers to board from both levels at once. They can also handle two smaller planes at the same time.
- Bus Gates (like 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D) are used when passengers need to be taken by bus to planes parked at remote stands.
Passenger Separation
After the September 11 attacks, airports around the world increased security. In 2005, Auckland Airport changed its international terminal to keep arriving and departing passengers separate. This was done by building a new departure level above the existing one. The old departure area became the arrivals level. This change helped make the airport more secure and followed new international rules.
Domestic Terminal
The two domestic terminal buildings used to be separate, but they are now connected by a shared shopping area.
- The Jetstar check-in area is at the western end of the terminal.
- The Air New Zealand check-in area is in the middle of the terminal.
- There are nine gates with jetbridges in the domestic terminal.
- Jetstar domestic flights use gates 20–23 (with jetbridges). Gate 24 is a tarmac gate used by both Jetstar and Air New Zealand.
- Air New Zealand's main flights use gates 24–33. Gates 28 to 33 have jetbridges.
- Air New Zealand Link (regional flights) use gates 34–50 at the eastern end of the terminal. Passengers walk across the apron (the area where planes park) to board these planes.
- Smaller airlines like Air Chathams and Barrier Air use gates 51–59.
Airlines and Destinations
Auckland Airport connects to 26 places within New Zealand and 49 international destinations across North and South America, Asia, Oceania, the Middle East, and Europe. Air New Zealand has the most flights from the airport, followed by Jetstar, Qantas, and Virgin Australia.
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% |
|
| 2 | Melbourne | 1,189,806 |  0.8% |
|
| 3 | Brisbane | 974,002 | 1.9% |
|
| 4 | Singapore | 551,956 | 25.7% |
|
| 5 | Nadi | 475,708 | 6.3% |
|
| 6 | Hong Kong | 470,436 | 20.4% |
|
| 7 | Los Angeles | 361,121 | 2.5% |
|
| 8 | Shanghai—Pudong | 339,388 | 7.8% |
|
| 9 | Gold Coast | 339,155 | 31.7% |
|
| 10 | Rarotonga | 289,826 | 3.1% |
|
| 11 | Guangzhou | 260,175 | 3.7% |
|
| 12 | San Francisco | 250,504 | 7.5% |
|
| 13 | Apia—Faleolo | 230,882 | 3.3% |
|
| 14 | Tokyo | 217,272 | 3.3% |
Includes Narita and Haneda airports |
| 15 | Honolulu | 190,087 | 13.4% |
The Airport Company
| Public company | |
| Traded as |
|
| Headquarters | Auckland, New Zealand |
|
Key people
|
Adrian Littlewood (CEO) Sir Henry van der Heyden (Chairman) |
| Owner | Auckland Council (22.15%) |
Who Owns the Airport?
Auckland International Airport Limited (AIAL) was created in 1988. Before that, the airport was managed by a local government group called the Auckland Regional Authority. The New Zealand Government used to be the main owner of AIAL, with local councils owning the rest.
In 1998, the Government sold its shares, and AIAL became a publicly listed company. This means anyone can buy shares in the company on the stock market. Today, the Auckland Council still owns a large part of the airport, about 22.4%. AIAL's shares are traded on the New Zealand Stock Exchange and the Australian Stock Exchange.
How the Airport Makes Money
AIAL makes money in different ways. It has two main types of income:
- Aeronautical income: This comes from charges for planes landing, using the terminals, and a passenger service fee.
- Non-aeronautical revenue: This comes from things like renting out property around the airport, car parking fees, and money from shops and restaurants inside the airport.
More than half of the airport's money comes from these non-aeronautical sources. This helps the airport stay strong even when fewer people are flying, like after big world events. Airlines, especially Air New Zealand, have sometimes complained that the airport's landing charges are too high. However, studies have shown that Auckland Airport's international charges are actually a bit lower than the average of other large international airports.
Until 2008, international passengers aged 12 or older had to pay a $25 departure fee. This was replaced by a passenger services charge that airlines pay for each international passenger.
Partnership with Queenstown Airport
In 2010, AIAL bought a 24.99% share in Queenstown Airport. This created a partnership between the two airports. This partnership helps Queenstown Airport grow and handle more passengers, which also benefits the local community.
Getting To and From the Airport
By Road
Two main highways connect to Auckland Airport: State Highway 20A and State Highway 20B. These highways make it easy to drive to and from the airport.
By Public Transport
- SkyBus: These express buses run between both airport terminals and central Auckland, as well as North Harbour.
- 380 Airporter: This is a regular bus service that connects the airport terminals to Onehunga and Manukau City, passing through Papatoetoe Station.
Future Rail Plans
There have been plans for a long time to connect the airport to central Auckland by train. One idea was to extend an existing train line. The most recent plan, from 2016, is for a completely new light rail line. This line would run directly from the airport through Mangere and Onehunga to central Auckland.
By Bicycle
There are also several bike paths that connect the airport to nearby areas. These include both off-road tracks and on-road bike lanes.
Local Population Around the Airport
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
| 2006 | 810 | — |
| 2013 | 567 | −4.97% |
| 2018 | 630 | +2.13% |
The area around Auckland Airport, covering about 23 square kilometers (9 square miles), had a population of 630 people in 2018. This was an increase from 2013. The median age in this area was 35.6 years. The population is diverse, with people of European, Māori, Pacific, and Asian backgrounds living there. Many people in this area work full-time, with a median income of $36,600.
Images for kids
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AKL international terminal
See also
In Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de Auckland para niños
