71-457: WLG may refer to: Wellington International Airport (IATA code), Wellington, New Zealand White light generation , a process broadening the spectrum of a laser pulse William Lloyd Garrison , a U.S. abolitionist Without loss of generality , a frequently used expression in mathematics Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with
142-510: A FBO and hangar facility for corporate jets and visiting general aviation aircraft on the western apron. Other notable operators on the western apron include Life Flight, the RNZAF and the Wellington Aero Club. Beginning in 2002, the airport built a bulk retail centre on land it owned to the west of the airport. Between 2009 and 2019 the airport issued various plans outlining upgrades over
213-488: A base in Evans Bay . Rongotai was still used for a frequent service to Blenheim and Nelson in 14-seater de Havilland Herons . Wellington Aero Club continued to operate from Rongotai, and the airport was also used occasionally by Royal New Zealand Air Force aircraft as well as ambulance aircraft transporting patients to Wellington Hospital . The Aircraft Engineering Company had a flying school with three aeroplanes based at
284-583: A long glass wall overlooking the runway. Five new airbridges were also included in the development. In 2003, the airport installed a large statue of Gollum on the outside of the terminal in order to promote the world premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King . This Gollum was later removed, and a new sculpture of Gollum catching a fish was installed inside the terminal. In 2013 two one-tonne eagles with wingspans of 15 metres were installed inside
355-536: A map drawn by Crawford but that none of the Māori he had spoken to knew of that name. Some believe that Lyall Bay is named after Dr David Lyall of the survey ship HMS Acheron, but he didn't serve on that ship until 1847, by which time the name Lyall Bay was already in use. Another theory is that it is named after George Lyall , one of the directors of the New Zealand Company . Early records also sometimes show
426-556: A metre which could start early 2015. In 2013, United Arab Emirates -based airline Emirates said it would consider Wellington as a destination while the airport operator said 1000 people connect with long-haul flights to and from the capital each day. Also in 2013, China Southern Airlines expressed interest in starting a Guangzhou to Wellington service. In late 2014, the Airport and the Wellington City Council jointly opened
497-451: A northwest to southeast alignment to match prevailing winds in the area, was extended in 1933. The first timetabled commercial flights into Rongotai Airport took place on 30 December 1935, when two de Havilland Express biplane airliners of Cook Strait Airways with paying passengers flew in from Nelson and Blenheim . During this period, concerns about safety were raised. Early aviator Charles Kingsford Smith flew into Wellington and
568-503: A popular Wellington band. The south-western border has Te Raekaihau Point as the dividing landform to Houghton Bay . Lyall Bay was probably the ancient mouth of the Hutt River. The current isthmus was created by geologic upheaval as a result of recurring earthquakes, notably the Haowhenua earthquake in the fifteenth century and the 1855 Wairarapa earthquake . The 1855 earthquake caused
639-703: A population of 2,673 at the 2018 New Zealand census , an increase of 78 people (3.0%) since the 2013 census , and an increase of 93 people (3.6%) since the 2006 census . There were 1,029 households, comprising 1,275 males and 1,401 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.91 males per female. The median age was 36.5 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 480 people (18.0%) aged under 15 years, 573 (21.4%) aged 15 to 29, 1,353 (50.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 267 (10.0%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 71.2% European/ Pākehā , 13.0% Māori , 8.5% Pasifika , 16.8% Asian , and 4.6% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas
710-468: A programme of sand dune restoration at the eastern end of Lyall Bay beach. Part of the dune was fenced off and boardwalks constructed for access to the beach through the dune. Thousands of pingao and other plants were planted to hold the sand in place. In December 1935 Wellington City Council approved Rongotai aerodrome as the site of an airport suitable for all types of aircraft, which would have involved reclamation of 26 acres (10.5 hectares) of seabed at
781-481: A total of 3,455,858 passengers in the year ending June 2022, and the third busiest in terms of aircraft movements. The airport, in addition to linking many New Zealand destinations with national and regional carriers, also has links to major cities in eastern Australia. It is the home of some smaller general aviation businesses, including the Wellington Aero Club , which operates from the general aviation area on
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#1732858599933852-419: A tsunami that swept over the isthmus between Lyall Bay and Evans Bay, leaving fish stranded amongst the sand dunes. Lyall Bay was earlier known as False Bay, because ships would mistake the bay for the entrance to Wellington Harbour. A Māori name for the beach was Hue te para, which literally means ' gourd ' (hue), 'the' (te), and 'ripe' (para) Writing in 1919, Elsdon Best stated that Hue te para appeared on
923-501: Is 1,815 m (5,955 ft) long threshold to threshold; with displaced thresholds at each end, the take-off run available is 1,945 m (6,381 ft) for runway 16 and 1,921 m (6,302 ft) for runway 34. The runway is grooved, which improves performance of the runway during wet conditions. The airport has a night curfew from midnight to 6:00 am, although international arrivals are allowed as late as 1:00 am and there are numerous conditions and exceptions to
994-455: Is a very popular and safe swimming beach. The beach is only two thirds of its original size: the construction of Wellington International Airport took away the eastern third of the beach. The suburb consists of most of the southern half of the Rongotai isthmus, although Wellington International Airport and a small industrial area next to it are often considered to be part of Rongotai . Lyall Bay
1065-655: Is an international airport located in the suburb of Rongotai in Wellington , the capital of New Zealand . It lies 5.5 km (3.0 nmi; 3.4 mi) south-east from the city centre. It is a hub for Air New Zealand and Sounds Air . Wellington International Airport Limited, a joint venture between Infratil and the Wellington City Council , operates the airport. Wellington is the third busiest airport in New Zealand after Auckland and Christchurch , handling
1136-781: Is only accessed by road. The airport lies at the southern end of the North Island section of State Highway 1 , which connects the airport to Wellington City via the Mount Victoria Tunnel . SH 1 then continues to the Wellington Urban Motorway , which takes traffic out of the city and further afield to Porirua and the Kāpiti Coast , and also onwards to the Hutt Valley and the Wairarapa via State Highway 2 . The distance from
1207-611: Is predominantly a residential area, but also contains a part of Wellington's Southern Walkway and the Southern Headlands Reserve. The suburb has a bus service and is near to the Kilbirnie shopping centre and the Tirangi Road Airport Retail Park. There is a primary school (Lyall Bay School), a Playcentre, a lawn bowls club, two churches and a small range of shops. The suburb is also home to Fat Freddy's Drop ,
1278-498: The Boeing 737-200 were not yet ETOPS -certified. The 747SP addressed this gap in the market, with Air New Zealand (after turning down an offer to purchase the type) code-sharing with Qantas. Special markings on the runway assisted Qantas pilots, to indicate where to touch down and to abort and go round to attempt a landing again. The 747SP service to Wellington continued until 1985, when Qantas and later Air New Zealand took delivery of
1349-635: The Gold Coast . On 21 September 2016 Singapore Airlines began direct flights between Singapore and Wellington via Australia's capital city Canberra . It was Wellington's first direct flight to a destination outside Australia and the Pacific Islands. From April 2018, the Singapore Airlines flight began transiting via Melbourne rather than Canberra. The flights were terminated in 2020. Execujet (in conjunction with Capital Jet services) operates
1420-402: The 747SP has a much shorter fuselage than other 747 variants. Air New Zealand operated Douglas DC-8s from Wellington on trans-Tasman routes, but when they were retired in 1981 none of its other aircraft were capable of operating international flights from Wellington – Air New Zealand's McDonnell Douglas DC-10s required more runway length than Wellington had available, and twinjets such as
1491-476: The Council agreed to the proposal and allocated reserve land at Lyall Bay for the purpose. Up to 150 labourers levelled the sand dunes and laid down a surface of broken rock and clay to stop the sand blowing away. This was then sown with grass. The official opening of the airport took place on 16 November 1929 with flying displays by 15 aeroplanes doing "crazy flying", "bombing" and races. The runway, which ran in
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#17328585999331562-625: The Domestic Lounge located after security screening in the south-west pier for members travelling domestically on Air New Zealand jet aircraft, and the International Lounge located after outbound passport control in the north-west pier for members travelling internationally. Qantas also operates a lounge after outbound passport control in the north-west pier; the lounge is available to Qantas Club members departing on international flights. Wellington Airport has one runway: 16/34. The runway
1633-460: The Lyall Bay club patrol the beach during summer months and Maranui club members patrol Oriental Bay. Members of both clubs compete nationally in various surf sports, which are sometimes held at Lyall Bay. Lyall Bay statistical area covers 0.55 km (0.21 sq mi). It had an estimated population of 2,700 as of June 2024, with a population density of 4,909 people per km . Lyall Bay had
1704-525: The Miramar Golf Course in 1994 for car park space. As recently as 1992, several alternate sites for Wellington Airport were considered – Te Horo , Paraparaumu , Mana Island , Ohariu Valley , Horokiwi , Wairarapa and Pencarrow – but a decision was made to upgrade the existing site at Rongotai. A major new domestic terminal was completed in 1999 and integrated with the international terminal, which had been built in 1977. A 90 m safety zone at
1775-474: The Web site Connect Wellington to promote the case for a runway extension. In January 2016, Singapore Airlines announced that it would begin services to Wellington via Canberra. The route, dubbed "The Capital Express", flew to Wellington via Canberra four times a week, using a Boeing 777-200 aircraft. The 777-200 was able to use Wellington Airport because the amount of fuel needed to fly between Wellington and Canberra
1846-560: The airport has seen a number of wide-body movements over the years for heads of state and visiting foreign dignitaries, diversions or special promotional events. Singapore Airlines formerly operated a Wellington- Melbourne - Singapore flight four times per week, using an Airbus A350-900 . A full-length runway extension to accommodate long-haul international flights has been previously investigated, but would require expensive land reclamation into Lyall Bay , and massive breakwater protection from Cook Strait . Doubts have existed over
1917-521: The airport have put forward their case to various international airlines for long-haul operations to and from Wellington, pointing out that Christchurch's economy is mainly industrial and agricultural, while arguing that Wellington's economy is based mainly on what they see as the higher-value public service, financial, ICT , and creative sectors. In particular, a survey commissioned by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce found that respondents regarded
1988-625: The airport is limited to buses as the airport is quite distant from the Wellington railway station, making it difficult to link Wellington Airport to the CBD via a rail link. Feasibility studies, such as the Greater Wellington Regional Council 's Ngauranga to Wellington Airport Corridor Plan, have been carried out to address this gap in the network, with light rail being touted as a solution by some public transport advocates. In spite of
2059-534: The airport on a commercial basis, and non-stop overseas destinations are limited to southeastern Australia and the South Pacific. Most large jet aircraft can safely use Wellington but the short runway severely limits their range to short-haul flights, and passenger numbers on trans-Tasman routes generally do not justify the use of wide-body aircraft. Air New Zealand has occasionally used wide-body aircraft to cater for high-demand events such as major sports fixtures, and
2130-546: The airport to be retained there. After several options for development were considered, Wellington City Council agreed to the Rongotai Terrace scheme in February 1951. This scheme saved Rongotai College and provided for a north-south runway. A major part of the scheme involved the complete removal of Rongotai Hill. Construction of the airport began in 1953, with the six-year project costing £5 million. Spoil from Rongotai Hill
2201-514: The airport to the city centre is roughly 8 km (5.0 mi). Several taxi and shuttle companies serve the airport. Metlink bus route 2 (between the CBD and Miramar/Seatoun) has a stop within walking distance of the terminal and connects to Metlink train services at Wellington railway station. The Metlink Airport Express bus service, which began on 1 July 2022, links the Wellington CBD directly with Wellington Airport. Public transport to
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2272-508: The airport's limited international capacity as the biggest obstacle to the Wellington region's economic potential, by a long margin over other factors. It has also been pointed out that while Air New Zealand has been scaling back certain routes, it is adding others, most notably Auckland - Shanghai from 6 November 2006. According to WIAL in 2009, the forthcoming Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 were originally predicted to have improved runway performance over existing long-haul aircraft, opening up
2343-466: The airport, and the de Havilland Aircraft Company had an aircraft maintenance facility. With the closure of Rongotai Airport, the government had invited a British commission to report on New Zealand airports. The Tymms Report produced in 1948 recommended that the isthmus at Rongotai was still the best site for an airport in Wellington, and Wellington City Council and the Chamber of Commerce also lobbied for
2414-403: The bay is known as The Corner. The waves here are influenced by the breakwater created when Wellington Airport was built in the 1950s. In 2015 the Airport announced plans to extend its runway. Surfers believed this would adversely affect the surf in the bay, but the airport said they would build an artificial reef 500m offshore to lessen the effect of the runway expansion on the waves. As of 2023
2485-408: The beach In December 1909. This led to rapid development and an influx of day trippers at the weekends. Most development was at the western side of the suburb. The eastern side was mostly sand dunes, and the tramline was often blocked by drifting sand. Wellington City Council responded to the problem in 1925 with a programme to level the dunes and cover much of the area with a layer of clay to hold
2556-489: The building and it was demolished in 2021. Since 1998 the airport has been two-thirds privately owned by Infratil , with the remaining third owned by Wellington City Council . In late May 2024, Wellington City Council voted in favour of selling its 34% minority stake (worth NZ$ 278 million) in Wellington Airport, with the proceeds going towards a major disaster investment fund. Wellington's original domestic terminal
2627-693: The codeshare would stifle competition and passenger growth on Wellington's international flights, pointing to what it saw as a market duopoly dominated by Air New Zealand and Qantas. The codeshare was abandoned by the two airlines after it was rejected in a draft ruling by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission in November 2006. Fiji Airways began serving Wellington from Nadi on 25 June 2015. Australian airline Jetstar launched its first international service in December 2014 from Wellington to
2698-451: The curfew, e.g. air ambulances are not subject to the curfew. In 2011, Qantas subsidiary Jetconnect was fined $ 12,000 after a delayed flight from Sydney landed at 1:47 am. Air Movements Rongotai sits on the opposite side of the Wellington airport runway from the main passenger terminals, its main use being the facilitation of Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) flights and flights of overseas military forces. The current building
2769-519: The east and west, and by Evans Bay in Wellington Harbour to the north and Cook Strait to the south. Wellington has a reputation for sometimes rough and turbulent landings, even in larger aircraft, due to the channelling effect of Cook Strait creating strong and gusty winds, especially in pre-frontal north-westerly conditions. Wellington Aero Club formed in 1928 and asked Wellington City Council to set aside land for an airport. In October 1928,
2840-421: The eastern end of Lyall Bay was lowered to improve the approach to the runway. In 1937 a government committee investigated possibilities for improving the airport, but its suggestion that a runway be constructed from north to south across the isthmus from Evans Bay to Lyall Bay, which would have entailed removal of Rongotai College and demolition or removal of up to 150 houses, was deemed unpalatable. The runway
2911-412: The eastern end of Lyall Bay. Some reclamation took place in Lyall Bay in 1940 with spoil from Moa Point Hill. After further discussion a plan was released in 1944 which would require reclamation in Evans Bay and a retaining wall at Lyall Bay. By 1950 the plans included reclamation in Lyall Bay, and by 1954 the work was underway. A breakwater was created and Moa Point Hill was completely flattened, with
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2982-428: The ground floor. Both connect to a retail and refreshment area on the first floor, looking out onto the runway. The gates in the south pier (Gates 3 to 12) and the gates in the main terminal building (Gates 18 to 20) serve regional aircraft. The gates in the south-west pier (Gates 13 to 17) are predominantly used by Air New Zealand domestic jets, and with the exception of Gate 14, all are jetbridge gates. The gates in
3053-556: The more capable and economical Boeing 767 -200ER type. During this time Pan Am took an interest in the operation of 747SPs into the capital and proposed a possible long-range service to the US via Hawaii. However, the New Zealand Government refused Pan Am's request for the route, citing Auckland Airport as the main gateway for overseas flights and the ability to generate passenger numbers amongst other things. Wellington Airport
3124-478: The name as Lyell Bay and it has been claimed that it was named after geologist Charles Lyell . The suburb of Lyall Bay was initially named Maranui by H D Crawford and H M Hayward, who began selling 80 sections for a new township at the bay in 1896. Maranui School (now Lyall Bay School) opened in February 1909. Progress of the suburb was slow until the City Council opened a tram line extension down Onepu Road to
3195-430: The next 20 years, including expanded terminal and apron space, runway extensions, terminal extensions, new freight facilities and a relocated fire station. In 2018, a nine-storey car park with more than 1,000 parking spaces was opened, and in 2019 a 134-room hotel opened at the airport, with direct access from the terminal. In 2018, a new air traffic control tower opened next to the airport retail centre. The building
3266-506: The north-west pier (Gates 21 to 29) are used by Jetstar domestic jets and all international flights: when transferred to international use, these gates are referred to as Gates 41 to 49 (e.g. Gate 26 is referred to as Gate 46 when used for an international flight). Air New Zealand operates three lounges for Koru members : the Regional Lounge on the second floor of the main terminal for members travelling regionally on turboprop aircraft,
3337-465: The old one built in 1957. The new building has space for club activities and storage as well as toilets, changing rooms and outdoor showers and taps for public use. Maranui SLSC's building was built in 1930 to replace an earlier building. It has been altered over the years and in 2005 Maranui cafe opened on the top floor. The building was destroyed by fire in August 2006, and then rebuilt. Volunteers from
3408-521: The possibility of direct air links to Asia and the Americas if commercially viable. However, when the B787 was introduced into service, it was found that the "actual performance was not as favourable as was originally envisaged", prompting a decision to extend the north end of the runway. In 2011, the Wellington City Council, Mayor Celia Wade-Brown and local business leaders reiterated their support for lengthening
3479-477: The removal of material from the beach and the construction of the breakwater at the airport end which had changed the currents in the bay. The Council countered that sand and gravel was removed carefully and that the erosion was a natural process. Residents at the eastern end of the bay where there was no seawall also suffered from sand drifting across the road, so in 1975 the Council built a seawall eastwards from Onepu Road. From 1990, Wellington City Council began
3550-647: The runway has not been extended and the reef has not been built. Lyall Bay is home to two surf lifesaving clubs: the Lyall Bay Surf Lifesaving Club and the Maranui Surf Lifesaving Club . Lyall Bay Surf and Lifesaving Club was formed in 1910 but after a dispute between members a group split off in October 1911 to form the Maranui club. In 2021 the Lyall Bay club opened a new clubhouse to replace
3621-443: The runway, as part of the Airport's 2030 Long Term Plan, but questions were raised about a possible conflict of interest regarding the then incumbent Mayor's role on Infratil's board of directors. The same year, Upper Hutt mayor Wayne Guppy called for further action on a runway extension, with a spokesman for the airport confirming a proposal to lengthen the southern end of the runway by 300 m at an estimated cost of $ 1 million
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#17328585999333692-529: The sand in place. In 1932 the Council built the distinctive 'whirler' sea wall along the beach. It was designed to blow sand back on to the beach instead of over the road. Sand and gravel built up on the beach during 1939, and from the 1940s until the 1960s Wellington City Council paid contractors to remove it. The beach became severely eroded, with the level of the beach at the surf lifesaving clubhouses about 3 ft (1m) lower in 1961 than it had been previously and no beach remaining at high tide. Residents blamed
3763-445: The short runway and frequent winds, there have been very few safety incidents at the airport, with the following exceptions: Lyall Bay Lyall Bay is a bay and suburb on the south side of the Rongotai isthmus in Wellington , New Zealand. The bay is a popular surf beach, featuring a breakwater at the eastern end. It is home to two surf lifesaving clubs and has also been the site of surf lifesaving championships. Lyall Bay
3834-424: The south end of the runway was constructed in order to comply with ICAO safety regulations, while a similar zone has been put in place at the runway's north end. In April 2006, Air New Zealand and Qantas announced that they proposed to enter into a codeshare agreement, arguing that it would be necessary in order to reduce empty seats and financial losses on trans-Tasman routes. The airport counter-argued that
3905-464: The spoil pushed into Lyall Bay. In total about a third of the bay was reclaimed for the airport, which opened in 1959. People have enjoyed surfing at Lyall Bay for over a century. Surfing was popularised when Duke Paoa Kahanamoku from Hawaii visited Lyall Bay in March 1915 and demonstrated surfing to a large crowd. The eastern end of the beach is known as Surfers Corner, and the surf break at that end of
3976-475: The terminal to promote the second film in the Hobbit trilogy. On 19 February 2008, Wellington Airport announced the proposed design for a new, expanded international terminal. The design, by Studio Pacific Architecture and Warren and Mahoney , was a deliberate departure from traditional airport terminal design. Featuring round structures covered in weathered copper, the design aroused a great deal of controversy and
4047-621: The title WLG . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=WLG&oldid=745087856 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Wellington International Airport Wellington International Airport ( IATA : WLG , ICAO : NZWN ) — formerly known as Rongotai Aerodrome or Rongotai Airport , or simply Wellington Airport —
4118-473: The viability of such an undertaking, particularly as Air New Zealand has repeatedly indicated that it has no interest in pursuing international service beyond Australia and the Pacific Islands, and few international airlines have shown serious interest in providing services beyond those points. Air New Zealand has questioned potential demand for such flights, citing the axing of its Christchurch - Los Angeles route in early 2006. Regional business organisations and
4189-437: The western side of the runway. The airport comprises a small 110-hectare (270-acre) site on the Rongotai isthmus, a stretch of low-lying land between Wellington proper and the hilly Miramar Peninsula . It operates a single 2,081-metre (6,827 ft) runway with ILS in both directions. The airport handles turboprop, narrow-body and wide-body jet aircraft movements. The airport is bordered by residential and commercial areas to
4260-467: Was 27.7, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 51.2% had no religion, 31.6% were Christian , 0.8% had Māori religious beliefs , 4.8% were Hindu , 1.7% were Muslim , 1.0% were Buddhist and 3.0% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 831 (37.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 279 (12.7%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income
4331-414: Was built as a temporary measure inside an existing corrugated iron hangar, originally used to assemble de Havilland aircraft. It was known for being overcrowded, leaky and draughty. An international terminal was opened in 1977. An upgrade of the domestic terminal, budgeted at NZ$ 10 million, was announced in 1981, but by 1983 the plans were shelved after cost projections more than doubled. The terminal
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#17328585999334402-458: Was designed by Studio Pacific and Paris Magdalinos Architects. The eight-storey building is constructed on a 12.5 degree angle as if leaning into the prevailing northerly wind, and is built to stand up to a 10-metre high tsunami wave. The former control tower at Tirangi Road was then put up for sale by Airways New Zealand, but was found to be unsuitable for redevelopment due to structural issues and asbestos contamination. Wellington Airport bought
4473-525: Was extended and other improvements made, but the 1937 committee had warned that the airport was not safe, and finally on 27 September 1947 the airport closed and almost all commercial flights were moved to Paraparaumu Airport , 35 miles (56 km) north of Wellington. Paraparaumu Airport soon became the country's busiest airport, but it was deemed unsuitable for large aircraft due to adverse terrain. Between 1950 and 1954, TEAL (the forerunner of Air New Zealand ) also operated flying boats to Australia from
4544-433: Was extended to 1,936 metres (6,352 ft) in the early 1970s, to handle Douglas DC-8s . In 1991, the airport released plans to widen the taxiway to CAA Code D & E specifications and acquire extra space, which were abandoned after protests from local residents. The plan involved the removal of the nearby Miramar Golf Course and a large number of residential and commercial properties. The Airport purchased land from
4615-433: Was extensively refurbished in 1987 by Air New Zealand , and Ansett New Zealand built a new terminal as an extension to the international terminal when it commenced competing domestic air services in 1987. In 1999 a new domestic terminal opened, linked to the international terminal. Designed by architect Jon Craig from Craig Craig Moller, the three-storey terminal has an open-plan retail, refreshment and seating area with
4686-403: Was nicknamed "The Rock". "The Rock" opened in October 2010. Wellington Airport operates a single terminal at the east of the airport, with three piers: south, south-west and north-west. The terminal and piers have a total floor area of 32,300 square metres (348,000 sq ft). The main terminal building contains a common check-in area on the first floor and a common baggage claim area on
4757-495: Was redirected via Melbourne instead of Canberra. In 2019, Singapore Airlines announced that they would replace the 777-200 aircraft with the A350-900, starting on 1 November 2019. On 8 May 2024, the Airport announced a pause on plans for a runway extension, in order to get consent to rebuild the southern seawall. Because of the runway limitations, Qantas introduced Boeing 747SPs on flights between Wellington and Australia in 1981;
4828-519: Was refurbished in the late 1980s when it housed not only the RNZAF Air movements unit but also 2 MCU (2nd Movements Control Unit) of the New Zealand Army. The role of 2 MCU was the logistic control and movement of defence personal and freight throughout New Zealand and abroad, utilising both civilian and military modes of transport. The length of the runway has limited the size of aircraft that can use
4899-478: Was relatively small; it could not take off from Wellington Airport if it carried the fuel required to fly non-stop to Singapore. The Deputy Mayor of Wellington argued that Singapore Airlines' commitment to the capital helped the case for an airport runway extension, and showed that airlines are looking to fly to Wellington and that the extension would cater for that in the future. In 2018, the Capital Express route
4970-503: Was said to be "perturbed" about conditions at Rongotai, where wind swirled around and the hills were very close. Along with others, he believed that Gear Island at the mouth of the Hutt River in Petone would be a better site for a commercial airport. A scale model of the landscape around the airport was made and tested in a wind tunnel, and, starting in 1936, the height of Moa Point Hill at
5041-418: Was used to reclaim land in Evans Bay and Lyall Bay. About 180 houses at Rongotai Terrace and Wexford Road on the hill were demolished or relocated to the newly reclaimed land at Evans Bay. A pedestrian tunnel from Coutts Street to Miramar was built under the new runway. The current airport was officially reopened on 25 October 1959. The original length of the runway was 1,630 metres (5,350 ft), and it
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