Auckland International Airport

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Auckland International Airport
IATA: AKL - ICAO: NZAA
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator Auckland International Airport Limited
Serves Auckland
Elevation AMSL 23 ft (7 m)
Coordinates 37°00′29″S, 174°47′30″E
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
05R/23L 11,926 3,635 Concrete
05L/23R 10,197 3,108 Asphalt

Auckland International Airport (IATA: AKL, ICAO: NZAA) is the largest and busiest international airport in New Zealand serving over 12 million passengers a year, which is expected to more than double in the next 15 years. The airport is located in Mangere, a western suburb of Manukau City, and is 21 km south of Auckland city centre. It is the central hub for Air New Zealand.

Auckland airport is one of New Zealand’s most important infrastructure assets, providing thousands of jobs for the region. It is also the country’s second-largest cargo 'port' by value, contributing around $14 billion to the economy, and catering for over four million visitors each year - resulting in a 70% share of New Zealand's international travellers.

In terms of total passenger numbers, it is the fourth largest in Australasia, after Kingsford Smith International Airport (Sydney), Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) and Brisbane Airport (Eagle Farm). However, as has been noted by its CEO and the Prime Minister of New Zealand, [1], it is the second largest airport in Australasia in terms of high-yield international passengers, being around 50% larger than Melbourne Airport.

This airport collects an Airport Improvement Fee.

Contents

[edit] History

The site of the airport was first used as an airfield by the Auckland Aero Club. In 1928, the club leased some land from a dairy farmer to accommodate the club's three De Havilland Gypsy Moths. The club president noted at the time that the site "has many advantages of vital importance for an aerodrome and training ground. It has good approaches, is well drained and is free from power lines, buildings and fogs."

In 1960, work started to transform the site into Auckland's main airport, taking over from Whenuapai in the north-west of the city. Much of the runway is on land reclaimed from the Manukau Harbour. The first flight to leave was an Air New Zealand DC-8 in November 1965, bound for Sydney. The airport was officially opened the following year, with a 'grand air pageant' on Auckland Anniversary weekend - 29 to 31 January 1966.

A new international terminal, named after Jean Batten, was built in 1977. The most recent substantial upgrade was in 2005, separating arriving and departing passengers.

Location of the airport relative to Auckland urban area
Location of the airport relative to Auckland urban area
International Terminal at the Auckland International Airport
International Terminal at the Auckland International Airport

Currently, the airport is undergoing a series of major construction projects, which will see large changes, including a proper second runway (the second runway mentioned in the box above is actually the main taxiway, and is intended for emergency use only or when maintenance is required on the main runway). See [1]or [2].

[edit] Departures

Check-in is on the ground floor. Passport control is on the first floor. Premium class passengers flying on Air New Zealand, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Qantas and LAN Airlines enjoy expedited clearance facilities at check-in downstairs and are able to proceed through a pre-cleared express lane upstairs to avoid queues at the main clearance checkpoint, which can have waiting times of up to 30 minutes. Air New Zealand Premium passengers can avoid the main clearance checkpoint altogether and proceed directly to the central security checkpoint. There are no special clearance facilities for Australian and New Zealand passport holders (as like Arrivals).

After clearing passport control is the central security checkpoint. Passengers then find themselves in a duty free mall which they must walk through before they go up a short escalator to the new upper level, which was completed in December 2005 to satisfy CAA requirements that all arriving and departing passengers be separated.

[edit] Passenger separation

Unlike most major airports, Auckland Airport prior to 2006 did not separate arriving and departing passengers – they were allowed to mingle airside. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, the airport operated with a CAA exemption that allowed this to continue, although flights to the US and all Qantas-operated flights (and for a short while Cathay Pacific flights) were restricted to leaving from gates where a secondary X-ray and metal detector inspection had been set up. This exemption expired in 2006.

Auckland Airport decided that rather than building a new sub-top level to stream arriving passengers on (as in Beijing, Vancouver or Heathrow), they needed to build a new departures floor for passengers to “drop down” into the existing gate lounges on the first floor, which would be closed off from a central arrivals corridor by glass. However, this design has been criticised by many frequent flyers on online bulletin boards such as Flyertalk, as the new design forces passengers to wind their way through a series of passages adding a few minutes to what was previously a short straight-line two minute walk. However, new piers, and the planned walkway from the existing international terminal to the new planned Pier B, will however be split-level in line with standard international airport practice.

The new level introduces an airside Burger King and large windows on one side which overlooks the western end of the airport runway (and the western apron). The other side has only has one large viewing window area because of the shop space.

Each drop-down point services one glassed-in lounge for two gates. There is a drop-down point for gates 1/3, 2/4, 5/7, 6/8 and 9/10. Each drop-down point is fitted with a down escalator, a lift and a staircase. Remote bus gates 4A/B/C/D are accessed by a further down escalator from the gate 2/4 glassed-in lounge.

Passengers departing on US and London bound flights have a secondary passport check prior to descending into their glassed-in lounge by an Aviation Security Service officer stationed at the top of the drop-down point.

[edit] Arrivals

Arrivals is on level one. Passengers walk past duty-free shops before descending escalators, stairs or lift to the main passport control clearance facility. Limited passport control facilities are available on level two for New Zealand and Australian citizens.

There are five flat-bed baggage belts which snake their way through the hall. Reclaim belt 5 is longer than the others as it was intended that 747-400 flights use this (due to more passengers, equalling more bags). 747-400 aircraft rarely use this reclaim however because it is generally used by airlines which contract ground handling to Menzies, only one of which (Singapore Airlines) operates the 747-400 into Auckland.

Auckland Airport's latest project is to shift arrivals to the west of the existing facilities, so they can be used to clear passengers from the intended Pier B. AIAL plan to make a "central" processing area for both piers. Construction on the arrivals project has already started. This will require passengers arriving at Pier A (the current terminal) to walk to the west, clearing immigration, before retracing their steps to collect their baggage. Auckland Airport has indicated that it will be installing travelators along this new passageway.

[edit] Agriculture

New Zealand has tough quarantine laws and all arriving passengers are subject to screening. During non-peak hours, passengers with no baggage can expect to get from plane to exit within 10 minutes; for passengers with baggage about 15-20 minutes. This involves Detector Dog Indication and X-Ray Machine Screening. A NZ$200 fine applies for risk items not being declared. This process also applies at other international airports in New Zealand which is carried out by MAF (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) During peak hours, depending on the backlog at passport control and at MAF Screening, clearance can take up to 1 hour.

[edit] Auckland International Airport Limited

Auckland International Airport Limited (AIAL) was formed in 1988, when the New Zealand Government corporatised the airport. It had previously been run by the Auckland Regional Authority, covering the five councils in the Auckland region.

The Government was AIAL’s majority shareholder, the rest being held by the local councils. In 1998, the Government sold down its shareholding, and AIAL became the fifth airport company in the world to be publicly listed.

AIAL appears on the New Zealand Stock Exchange (NZX: AIA) and Australian Stock Exchange (ASX: AIA). International shareholders hold around 40%, domestic approximately 60% of the shares.

AIAL enjoys diverse revenue streams, and operates a ‘dual-till’ approach, whereby its finances are split into aeronautical and non-aeronautical balance sheets. Aeronautical income is derived from airfield charges, terminal services charge and the airport development charge (or departure fee). Non-aeronautical revenue comes from its significant property portfolio, car park, and retail income. Income from the non-aeronautical side of the business accounts for just over half of its revenue. The airport has been criticised by airlines, led by Air New Zealand, for its purportedly high landing charges.

This diversity in revenue has been of benefit in the recent downturn in international aviation following the events of September 11, 2001, and subsequently the Bali bombing, SARS and the Iraq war. AIAL has been able to rely on steady income from the non-aeronautical side of the business, which has softened the blow of international events. On top of this, New Zealand has retained favour among the world’s travellers as a safe destination.

AIAL has a Standard & Poor’s credit rating of A+/Stable/A-1.

AIAL has been singled out by IATA for its consistent excessive levels of profits. Airlines such as Air New Zealand, have consistently complained that AIAL is charging them excessive landing charges and AIAL is currently in the process of increasing these again.[3]. AIAL also charges all departing passengers (12 years old or older) a $25 departure fee. This is viewed negatively by passengers and the airlines as in most other airports around the world it is included in the airfare ticket.

[edit] Current directors

  • Wayne Boyd
  • Anthony N Frankham
  • Dr Keith Turner
  • Michael Smith
  • Joan Withers

[edit] Airlines

[edit] Fatal accidents

There have been three fatal aircraft accidents on or near the airport:

  • On July 4, 1966, an Air New Zealand Douglas DC-8 on a training flight crashed on the runway shortly after taking off, killing two of the five crew (no passengers were onboard).
  • On July 31, 1989, a Mainfreight Convair 340/580 crashed shortly after taking off at night. The three crewmembers were killed.

The Mount Erebus disaster was another notable accident that involved an aircraft from Auckland. On November 28, 1979, an Air New Zealand sightseeing flight from Auckland to Antarctica, crashed into Mount Erebus, killing all on board.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Prime Minister’s Statement to Parliament (from the Government website, Tuesday 14 February 2006)

[edit] External links

Airports of New Zealand
Auckland | Christchurch | Dunedin | Hamilton | Palmerston North | Queenstown | Wellington
Airports of Auckland
Auckland International | Ardmore | Great Barrier Aerodrome | Parakai Aerodrome | Whenuapai | North Shore
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