New Plymouth Airport Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

New Plymouth Airport

IATA: NPL
ICAO: NZNP

Summary

Airport type

Public

Owner

New Plymouth District Council

Operator

New Plymouth District Council

Location

New Plymouth

Elevation AMSL

30 m / 97 ft

Coordinates

39°00′31″S 174°10′45″E / 39.00861°S 174.17917°E

Map

NPL

Location in Taranaki Region

Runway

Runway	Length		Surface
Runway	m	ft	Surface
05R/23L	1,000	3,281	Grass
05L/23R	1,310	4,298	Asphalt
14/32	1,200	3,937	Grass

Statistics (2016)

Passengers	411,661

New Plymouth Airport control tower in 1970

New Plymouth Airport (codes: NPL, NZNP) is an important airport in New Zealand. It serves the city of New Plymouth and the wider Taranaki Region. The airport is on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is about 11 kilometers from the city center.

In 2016, New Plymouth Airport was the 9th busiest airport in New Zealand. Over 411,000 people flew through it that year. This was a big jump from the year before. The airport is owned and run by the New Plymouth District Council.

Airport History
New Terminal Building
Airlines and Destinations
Aircraft Used
Photo Gallery
See also

Airport History

Early Days and World War II

The first airport in New Plymouth opened in 1933. It had five grass runways. The longest runway was about 1,500 meters long. During World War II, the airport became a military airbase. It was called the RNZAF Bell Block Airbase. A famous pilot, Les Munro, who was part of the "Dambusters Raid," learned to fly here. After the war, the airport went back to being used by civilians.

Building the New Airport

In the 1950s and 1960s, New Zealand's travel systems were getting better. The main airline, NAC, started using new planes called Fokker F27 Friendships. These planes needed a paved runway. So, a new airport was built. It opened in 1966. The old airport site is now used for businesses.

During the building of the new airport, a small hill had to be flattened. This was because it was in the way of planes taking off and landing. This hill was a Māori burial ground. Even with protests, the government decided to go ahead. Part of the hill still remains today. Stones from the original airport and a memorial to the RNZAF Bell Block were moved to the new airport.

New Plymouth Airport memorial stones

Changes to the Terminal Building

The airport's first terminal building was updated in the 1990s. An observation deck, where people could watch planes, was removed. In 2005, an outdoor viewing area was also closed. This was due to new security rules around the world.

From 2015 to 2020, New Plymouth Airport had two terminal buildings. The main building was for Air New Zealand. It had a cafe and a lounge. A second building, called Terminal 2, was built for other airlines. These included Jetstar Airways and Originair. Terminal 2 had its own check-in desks and baggage area. It also had extra gates for planes.

In 2015, Jetstar announced they would start flying to New Plymouth. This led to the building of Terminal 2. The main terminal was too small for two big airlines.

Airport Operations

New Plymouth Airport has a control tower. Air traffic controllers guide planes from here. They work from early morning until evening on weekdays. There is also a fire rescue team at the airport.

The airport has one paved taxiway. This connects the main apron (where planes park) to the asphalt runway. So, planes taxi on the runway itself before taking off. The airport is known for strong crosswinds. This means wind often blows across the runway. Only the paved runway is used by airline planes. This runway has lights for night operations. The airport also has special equipment to help planes land safely.

Past Airlines and Services

In the past, several airlines flew to New Plymouth.

Origin Pacific Airways used to fly to Auckland and Nelson, New Zealand.
NAC used to fly with Fokker F27 planes.
Regional airline Sunair flew from Hamilton.
Jetstar used to fly to Auckland.
Originair used to fly to Nelson and Napier, New Zealand. They stopped these flights in late 2019.

General Aviation and Special Aircraft

The New Plymouth Aero Club used to be based here. They offered flight training and air ambulance services. They stopped in 2014.

Many private and special aircraft are kept at the airport. These include:

A historic De Havilland Vampire jet.
An Aero L-39 Albatros (a training jet).
Four Yak 52s (Russian training planes).
A Catalina Flying Boat (a large seaplane).

New Terminal Building

Planning the Upgrade

In 2017, plans for a big upgrade to the airport terminal were approved. This project would cost $29 million. The old terminal building was built in 1967. It was designed for only 60,000 passengers a year. But in 2016, over 411,000 people used the airport. This showed a much bigger terminal was needed.

The New Plymouth District Council chose the most expensive plan. This plan included special cultural designs. It was seen as more than just a functional building.

New Design Features

The new plan proposed a much larger terminal. It would be about 4,092 square meters, up from 1,430 square meters. The design included:

Separate areas for people arriving and departing.
A bigger baggage claim area.
A larger lounge for Air New Zealand passengers.
More space for shops and cafes.
The ability to add a security screening area if needed later.

The plan also suggested making the main runway longer. This would help bigger planes, like the ATR aircraft, operate more easily. The runway might be extended to 1,500 meters, and possibly even to 1,700 meters.

Opening the New Terminal

The new terminal building opened on March 17, 2020. It can now handle up to 650,000 passengers a year. It has new shops, a quick-food area, and a cafe called Airspresso. The building is designed so it can be made even bigger in the future. A special outdoor viewing area was also created. This lets people who aren't flying still watch planes.

In 2021, the new New Plymouth Airport terminal was nominated for a global award, the Prix Versailles. It won the World Special Prize for Exterior in December 2021.