Rotorua Airport facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rotorua Airport
A Bombardier Q300 operated by Air New Zealand's subsidiary Air Nelson parked on the apron.
IATA: ROT ICAO: NZRO
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Rotorua Airport Limited
Serves	Rotorua and inland Bay of Plenty
Location	Rotokawa, Rotorua, New Zealand
Elevation AMSL	285 m / 936 ft
Coordinates	38°06′33″S 176°19′02″E / 38.10917°S 176.31722°E / -38.10917; 176.31722
Website	rotorua-airport.co.nz
Map
ROT Location in North Island
Runway
Runway Length Surface m ft 18R/36L 2,114 6,936 Asphalt 18L/36R 773 2,536 Grass
Statistics (2014)
Passengers 215,276
Source:

Rotorua Airport (IATA: ROT, ICAO: NZRO) is an airport located in Rotorua, New Zealand. It sits about 6 kilometers (about 3.7 miles) northeast of the city center. The airport has a two-story building for passengers. Inside, you can find a cafe and a book store.

The airport has two runways. The main runway is 2114 meters (about 1.3 miles) long and is made of asphalt. There is also a shorter grass runway next to it. These runways cannot be used at the same time.

Currently, Air New Zealand flies from Rotorua to Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. Another airline, Sunair, offers flights to Gisborne, Whangarei, and North Shore. Other companies also use the airport for special flights and scenic tours. In the past, airlines like Ansett New Zealand and Qantas used to fly here.

History of Rotorua Airport

Rotorua Airport first opened in 1964. Its first runway was 1378 meters (about 0.85 miles) long. It was built to handle planes like the Douglas DC-3 and Fokker F27. This new airport replaced an older one called Whakarewarewa Aerodrome.

Growing the Airport

Over the years, the airport's main runway was made longer. In 2002, it grew to 1622 meters (about 1 mile). Later, in 2008, plans were approved to make it even longer. This project was finished in 2009. The runway, along with special safety areas, became 2304 meters (about 1.4 miles) long.

These upgrades meant the airport could handle bigger planes, like the Airbus A320. It also allowed the airport to start offering international flights.

International Flights and Changes

After the upgrades, Air New Zealand started flying from Rotorua to Sydney, Australia, in December 2009. This was the first time Rotorua Airport had international flights. To celebrate, the airport was renamed Rotorua International Airport.

At first, flights to Sydney happened twice a week. However, the number of flights changed over time. By 2014, the local council decided to stop helping to pay for the Sydney flights. They felt the money could be used better elsewhere. So, the international flights to Sydney ended on April 25, 2015.

After international flights stopped, the airport decided to focus on flights within New Zealand. They were especially interested in starting direct flights to Queenstown.

Airlines and Destinations

Images for kids

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  An Air New Zealand Fokker F27 on the apron in 1985.

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  Passengers getting off a Bombardier Q300 in October 2010.

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  A Boeing 737-300 from the former airline Freedom Air on the runway in 2005.