Hokitika Airport facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hokitika Airport
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View of Hokitika airport
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| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | Hokitika Airport Ltd | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Hokitika, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 146 ft / 45 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 42°42′49″S 170°59′07″E / 42.71361°S 170.98528°E | ||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||
 HKK
Location in West Coast
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Hokitika Aerodrome (also known as Hokitika Airport) is a small airport in New Zealand. It is located near the town of Hokitika on the West Coast of the South Island. This airport is important because it connects the West Coast to other parts of New Zealand. It is also the closest airport with regular flights for people living in Greymouth, a larger town nearby.
The airport can handle planes up to the size of an ATR 72-500. These planes are flown by Air New Zealand, the national airline. Hokitika Airport has one main building for passengers and two places for planes to park.
Contents
History of Hokitika Airport
Early Flights and New Beginnings
Air Travel (NZ) Ltd was the first airline in New Zealand to offer regular flights. It was started by Bert Mercer in 1934. The very first scheduled flight took off on December 18, 1934. It flew from Hokitika to Haast in South Westland. During World War II, this airline also flew north from Hokitika to Greymouth, Westport, and Nelson.
Hokitika originally had an airport on the south side of town. It was just across the Hokitika River. However, its grass runways often got wet and flooded. This caused many problems for flights.
Building a Better Airport
Because of the flooding, the old Southside airfield in Hokitika closed on August 9, 1948. Plans were already being made for a new and improved airport. The new airport, called Seaview, opened on December 17, 1951.
The opening of the new Seaview airport also meant bigger planes could land. NAC started flying larger Lodestar planes to Hokitika. From this point on, a road link was made between Greymouth and Hokitika Airport. This helped people from Greymouth connect with NAC's flights.
Modernizing Air Travel
Hokitika received its first true airliner service on March 2, 1953. NAC introduced its 24-seater Douglas DC-3 planes. These planes flew from Paraparaumu, Nelson, and Westport to Hokitika.
NAC began its Christchurch-Hokitika Friendship service on December 20, 1968. A Fokker Friendship plane, ZK-BXI, made the first flight. By 1974, over 16,945 people were flying through Hokitika each year. On September 14, 1974, NAC started Saturday flights from Hokitika to Christchurch. This was the first time Hokitika had a daily air service.
Airlines and Destinations
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air New Zealand | Christchurch |
How the Airport Works
Airport Management
The airport is run by Hokitika Airport Ltd. This company is owned by the Westland District Council, which is the local government.
Runway Information
The main runway at Hokitika Airport is 1,314 meters long for planes landing. For planes taking off, it is considered to be 1,374 meters long. There were plans to extend it with gravel to allow some special charter flights. New lights were also planned to be installed.
Services at the Airport
If you visit the airport, you will find several car rental companies. This makes it easy to get around the area. There is also a small snack bar where you can buy food and drinks.
Images for kids
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An ATR 72 plane (ZK-MCC) getting ready to fly back to Christchurch from Hokitika Airport.
