Christchurch Airport facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Christchurch Airport
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public/military | ||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | Christchurch City Council (75%) NZ Government (25%) |
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| Operator | Christchurch International Airport Limited | ||||||||||||||||||
| Serves | Christchurch | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Harewood, Christchurch, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1937 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Hub for | Air New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 37 m / 123 ft | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 43°29′22″S 172°31′56″E / 43.48944°S 172.53222°E | ||||||||||||||||||
| Website | www.christchurchairport.co.nz | ||||||||||||||||||
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 CHC
Location in Christchurch, New Zealand
CHC
Location in New Zealand
CHC
Location in Oceania
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| Statistics (Year to 30 June 2023) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Christchurch Airport (IATA: CHC, ICAO: NZCH) is the main airport serving Christchurch, New Zealand. It is about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) northwest of the city center. The airport officially opened on 18 May 1940. It became New Zealand's first international airport on 16 December 1950.
It is the second busiest airport in New Zealand. It ranks after Auckland and before Wellington for annual passengers. It is also the second busiest for aircraft movements, again after Auckland. Christchurch and Auckland are the only airports in New Zealand that regularly handle very large planes like the Boeing 747 and Airbus A380. The airport is open 24 hours a day, with no curfews.
Christchurch often has winds from the north-east or south-west. It also gets strong "nor'wester" winds. Because of this, the airport has two main runways that cross each other. The primary runway is 3,288 meters (10,785 feet) long. It lines up with the usual north-easterly and south-westerly winds. The secondary runway is 1,741 meters (5,712 feet) long. It is used during the nor'wester winds. There is also a third grass runway for smaller planes. The airport has recently upgraded its main terminal building. The new main part opened in 2011, and the whole upgrade finished in 2013.
Contents
Airport History: How It Grew
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In 1935, the local council decided to build a new airport at Harewood. Work began in 1936 when land was bought. By 1937, a runway and a small terminal were ready. In 1940, it became an air force base.
In 1950, Christchurch Airport was approved for international flights. By 1953, the idea of two main runways was set. In 1954, TEAL airline started using Douglas DC-6 planes for flights to Australia. A new terminal building opened in February 1960.
The main runway was made longer in 1963 for jet planes. In April 1965, Qantas started regular jet flights to Sydney. An international section was added to the terminal in 1966. In 1972, the north-west runway was repaired. The first scheduled Boeing 747 flight to New Zealand landed here on 3 December 1972.
More parts were added to the domestic terminal in 1975. This more than doubled its size. In 1979, Air New Zealand opened a large hangar at the airport. In 1980, two Australian airlines started flights from Hobart.
In 1984, the main runway was extended again. This made it 3,288 meters (10,785 feet) long, its current size. In 1985, Newmans Air started flights on tourist routes. Air New Zealand also began Boeing 767 flights to Melbourne. They also started Boeing 747 flights to Los Angeles.
In 1986, Singapore Airlines began Boeing 747 flights to Christchurch. The first British Airways Boeing 747 from London arrived the next month. In 1987, the terminal was expanded to add new lounges. Airbridges were also added for domestic flights. Thai Airways started flights from Bangkok in 1988. In 1989, Air New Zealand began flights to Tokyo and Perth.
The first Concorde plane visited Christchurch in April 1989. It was on a world tour. In September 1990, the International Antarctic Centre opened. This is a tourist attraction at the airport.
In 1993, Air Pacific (now Fiji Airways) started direct flights to Nadi, Fiji. Korean Airlines began weekly flights from Seoul in 1994. In 1997, Origin Pacific Airways started flights to Nelson. A new international terminal building was finished in 1998. This added a lot more space.
In 2004, the international terminal was expanded again. This added more gates for international flights. Pacific Blue Airlines started flights to Australia in 2004. Emirates began flights from Dubai and Melbourne in July 2004. They later upgraded to a daily Airbus A380 service in 2016. Jetstar started flights to Australia in December 2005. A new multi-story car park began construction in 2006.
How the Airport Was Redeveloped
Christchurch Airport had a big expansion project starting in March 2006. A new multi-story car park opened in 2007. This added 570 covered parking spots. A new 45-meter (148-foot) tall control tower opened in September 2009. A new regional lounge was built in 2010.
In early 2009, work began to replace the old domestic terminal. The new terminal would combine domestic and international areas. Stage 1 of the new terminal opened in May 2011. This included a new check-in hall and food area. It also had new security screening and a regional departure lounge. This allowed the old parts to be taken down for Stage 2. Stage 2 was finished in February 2012.
The old domestic terminal was completely removed. All construction was finished by late 2012. The project was completed on time and within budget. This was impressive, even with 11,000 earthquakes during construction. The new terminal officially opened on 18 April 2013.
Recent Developments (2010 onwards)
In April 2011, Air Asia X started flights to Kuala Lumpur. These flights ended in May 2012. China Airlines operated seasonal flights from Taipei from 2014 to 2018. Uzbekistan Airways also operates special flights from Tashkent. These flights carry Russian fishing crews.
In April 2023, United Airlines announced new non-stop flights from San Francisco. These flights started on 1 December 2023. This is the only direct flight connecting North America with New Zealand's South Island.
Kowhai Park: Powering the Airport
The airport plans to build a large solar farm. It will cover 400 hectares of land. This farm will power the airport. It will also be big enough to power 20% of Christchurch. This is part of the airport's goals to be more sustainable.
Runways: Taking Off and Landing
The airport wants to increase how many planes can use its runways. They plan to extend the main runway (02/20) by 300 meters (984 feet). This would make it 3,600 meters (11,811 feet) long. This would allow some planes to take off while others land.
Runway 11/29 might also be widened and extended by 250 meters (820 feet). This would make it 1,981 meters (6,499 feet) long. This is important because some flights to Australia and the Pacific Islands cannot take off fully loaded in strong nor'west winds. Safety areas will also be added to the ends of all runways.
The airport uses Runway 02 about 70% of the time. Runway 20 is used 20% of the time. Runway 29 is used 8% of the time, and Runway 11 is used 2% of the time.
Terminal and Gates: Inside the Airport
Christchurch Airport has one main terminal building. It handles both domestic (flights within New Zealand) and international flights. The terminal is very large, covering 77,591 square meters (835,180 square feet). It is on the eastern side of the airport.
The main terminal has a combined check-in area for all flights. There are 58 check-in counters and self-service kiosks. A shared baggage claim area is on the ground floor. Upstairs, there is a large area with many shops and places to eat. A special feature is a 750-meter (2,460-foot) long baggage handling system.
The airport has 37 gates in total.
- The regional wing handles smaller turboprop planes. It has 12 gates (3–14).
- The central zone handles main domestic flights. It has eight gates (16–22a) and gates (15, 15a, 15b, 15c). Most of these have jetbridges, which are covered walkways to the plane.
- The international wing has 13 gates (23–35). Most of these also have jetbridges.
- Some gates (21/24 and 22/25) are "swing gates." This means they can be used for either domestic or international flights as needed.
- Gate 30 has a special double jetbridge. This is used for the very large Airbus A380 planes.
Airlines and Destinations: Where You Can Fly
As of December 2023, 11 airlines offer regular flights from Christchurch Airport. You can fly directly to 18 places within New Zealand and 10 international destinations. Each week, there are about 900 domestic and 157 international flights arriving and departing.
Passenger Flights
- Air Chathams to Chatham Islands
- Air New Zealand to Auckland, Brisbane, Dunedin, Gold Coast, Hamilton, Hokitika, Invercargill, Melbourne, Napier, Nelson, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Queenstown, Rotorua, Sydney, Tauranga, Wellington
- Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong (seasonal)
- China Southern Airlines to Guangzhou (seasonal)
- Emirates to Dubai–International, Sydney
- Fiji Airways to Nadi
- Jetstar to Auckland, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Wellington
- Qantas to Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney
- Singapore Airlines to Singapore
- Sounds Air to Blenheim, Wānaka
- United Airlines to San Francisco (seasonal)
Cargo Flights
- Airwork to Auckland, Melbourne, Sydney
- DHL Aviation to Auckland, Melbourne, Sydney
- FedEx Express to Auckland, Melbourne
- Parcelair to Auckland, Palmerston North
- Qantas Freight to Auckland, Sydney
- Texel Air Australasia to Auckland, Palmerston North
Airport Statistics
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Christchurch International Airport is New Zealand's second largest airport. It is a key entry point for Christchurch and the South Island.
In the 12 months up to July 31, 2014, over 5.7 million passengers used the airport. This was an increase of 3.6% from the year before. In 2016, a record 6.31 million passengers traveled through the airport.
Airport Operations
Military Flights
The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) uses Christchurch Airport when visiting the city. This is because their old base, RNZAF Base Wigram, is now closed.
Christchurch Airport has also been a base for flights to Antarctica since the 1950s. These flights are part of Operation Deep Freeze. They are run by the United States military and the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
SOFIA: A Flying Telescope
In July 2013, a special Boeing 747SP plane landed at the airport. This plane is called Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). It has a powerful telescope inside. Christchurch was chosen as a winter base for SOFIA for many years. This is because of the airport's long runway and clear skies in southern New Zealand.
General Aviation: Smaller Planes
Several smaller aviation companies operate from Christchurch Airport.
- Garden City Helicopters flies from a base next to the airport. They offer medical flights and charter services. They also operate the rescue helicopter for Canterbury.
- The Canterbury Aero Club uses a grass runway parallel to the main runway.
- Mainland Air flies to Oamaru.
- Air Safaris offers flights to Lake Tekapo Airport.
Aviation Services: Plane Maintenance
The Christchurch Engine Centre is located at the airport. It was started in 1953. It is now run by Pratt & Whitney and Air New Zealand. They repair and maintain aircraft engines. Air New Zealand also has several maintenance hangars at the airport.
Getting To and From the Airport
The main road to the airport connects to the main highway (State Highway 1). The airport is about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the city center.
You can find a drop-off and pick-up area called 'The Loop' at the car park building. Many taxi and shuttle companies operate from the airport. Uber also has a special pick-up and drop-off zone.
Three city bus routes serve the airport terminal:
- Route 3 goes to the city center, then to Sumner.
- Route 29 goes to the city center via Fendalton.
- Route 125 travels from Redwood to Halswell.
A fourth bus route, the 8 Port to Port Route, started in September 2023. This bus travels between the airport and the port town of Lyttleton.
Incidents at the Airport
- On 6 June 2003, a small plane crashed near runway 20. The plane was flying too low in foggy weather.
- On 8 February 2008, there was an attempted hijacking on a flight from Blenheim to Christchurch. After the plane landed, the person trying to hijack it was stopped by the pilots.
- In November 2014, a New Zealand politician was fined for a security breach. He and his aides entered a departure lounge through an exit door to catch a flight.
Images for kids
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A sculpture outside the terminal
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Air New Zealand lounge in the international part of the airport
See also
In Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de Christchurch para niños
