Woodbourne Airport facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Woodbourne Airport
IATA: BHE ICAO: NZWB
Summary
Airport type	Public and Military
Operator	Marlborough Airport Ltd
Location	State Highway 6, Blenheim, New Zealand
Elevation AMSL	33 m / 109 ft
Coordinates	41°31′06″S 173°52′13″E / 41.51833°S 173.87028°E / -41.51833; 173.87028
Website	www.marlboroughairport.co.nz
Map
BHE Location in New Zealand Marlborough
Runway
Runway Length Surface m ft 06R/24L 1,425 4,675 Bitumen 06L/24R 1,425 4,675 Grass 10/28 1,182 3,878 Grass
Statistics (2014)
Passenger throughput 241,173 Landings 9,399 Aircraft movements (2010) 22,829

Woodbourne Airport (IATA: BHE, ICAO: NZWB), also known as Marlborough Airport, is an important airport in New Zealand. It is located about 8 kilometers (5 miles) west of Blenheim in the Marlborough region. This airport is special because it is used by both regular travelers and the New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF Base Woodbourne). It sits in the Wairau Valley on the north-eastern side of the South Island. The airport has one main building for passengers and seven places where planes can park.

Marlborough Airport terminal building in 2012

An Air National Jetstream 32 plane on the tarmac at Blenheim

An RNZAF Boeing 727-100QC at Blenheim, now used for training engineers.

History of Woodbourne Airport

Woodbourne was one of the very first airports built in New Zealand. Today, it is still one of the few remaining air force bases. The base, called RNZAF Base Woodbourne, handles general plane maintenance and initial training for air force staff.

Early Days and Upgrades

Woodbourne Airport also serves as the main airport for the town of Blenheim. In 1961, one of its runways (06R/24L) was paved with bitumen. This allowed larger planes, like the Fokker Friendship turboprop aircraft, to land there. Woodbourne was one of the first regional airports in New Zealand to welcome these modern planes.

Modern Operations and Growth

Today, the airport is very busy with many flights each day. Air New Zealand uses Bombardier Q300 aircraft for flights from Auckland and Wellington. The most popular route from Blenheim is a short 25-minute flight across the Cook Strait to Wellington.

Sounds Air also operates flights from Woodbourne. They use smaller planes like the Cessna Caravan and Pilatus PC-12. These planes fly to Wellington, Kapiti Coast, and Christchurch.

Airport Improvements

The main terminal building at Woodbourne Airport was updated in 2014 and 2015. This was done to handle more passengers and larger aircraft. The improvements included making the plane parking area bigger. New facilities for checking in and picking up luggage were also added. The departure lounge, where passengers wait for their flights, was also made larger.

In 2018, Woodbourne Airport was the 12th busiest airport in New Zealand. This ranking was based on the total number of passengers who used the airport that year.

Airlines and Destinations

Many different airlines fly to and from Woodbourne Airport. They connect Blenheim to several other cities in New Zealand.

Passenger Flights

• Air New Zealand flies to:
  • Auckland
  • Wellington
• Sounds Air flies to:
  • Christchurch
  • Kapiti Coast
  • Wellington