Hamilton International Airport
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| Hamilton International Airport | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| IATA: HLZ - ICAO: NZHN | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Operator | Hamilton International Airport | ||
| Serves | Hamilton, New Zealand | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 172 ft (52 m) | ||
| Coordinates | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 18L/36R | 7,202 | 2,195 | Asphalt |
| 18R/36L | 2,592 | 790 | Grass |
| 07L/25R | 2,362 | 720 | Grass |
| 07R/25L | 2,345 | 715 | Grass |
For the airport in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, see Hamilton/John C. Munro International Airport.
The Hamilton International Airport (IATA: HLZ, ICAO: NZHN) is an airport located in the Waikato region, in New Zealand.
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[edit] History
As the world prepared for World War II, it became clear that a landing strip had to be built in the Hamilton area. By 1935, the air strip was already in service, as a stop over for war airplanes that would land after a long journey. Services included refueling as well as food and rest for the incoming pilots.
Tourism by air began to blossom soon after the war was over, and, in 1950, the airport received its first commercial flight. The main runway was sealed in 1965, and turboprop flights began to Hamilton that year, with NAC's Fokker Friendship aircraft. In 1988, one of the airport's runways was expanded, to accommodate the increasing number of international flights coming from Australia.
In 1989, the New Zealand government sold the airport to Hamilton City Council (50%); Waikato District Council (15.625%); Waipa District Council (15.625%); Matamata-Piako District Council (15.625%); and Otorohonga District Council (3.125%). This would prove to be an important deal in the airport's history, as unprecedented growth began for the airport after that.
1994 marked the first year in which the airport became involved in the now famous Trans Tasman air routes, with charter flights provided on Boeing 757s by Kiwi International Airlines of New Zealand (not to be confused with the United States based Kiwi International Air Lines). New Zealand's Kiwi, however, went bankrupt in 1996, but, by that time, another airline, Freedom Air, had begun flying the same route with Boeing 737 aircraft. Freedom Air ultimately decided to make Hamilton International Airport their company hub.
In 1995, a domestic terminal was opened, to respond to passenger demand for flights from Wellington and vice-versa. Ansett, with their Ansett NZ division, operated flights to Wellington from Hamilton from then and until 2000, when the Ansett flights were overtaken by Qantas, with their own New Zealand domestic flights division. Qantas NZ operated at the airport until 2004. Currently, a number of airlines fly the route.
In 1996, the airport's main terminal was expanded, in hopes of attracting more international airlines. The same year the Hamilton Airport Motor Inn was developed to cater for travellers using the airport.
A NZ$15.3 million expansion of the terminal commenced in 2005 and will feature a 60% increase in floorspace with improved baggage handling areas, better international and domestic check-in space, and passenger security screening. Completion is scheduled for late 2007.
Hamilton Airport is home to the New Zealand "Crew Training Centre" of CTC Aviation. CTC is a British flight training organisation that provides freshly-trained European airline pilots to numerous airlines throughout the United Kingdom, most notably EasyJet, and also including British Airways, First Choice, Thomas Cook, and Monarch amongst others. Most of the non-passenger traffic at this airport is generated by CTC training flights, in single engined Robin R2000 and Cessna 172, and twin-engined Diamond DA42 Twin Star aircraft.
Hugh McCarroll became the airport's chief executive in the early 2000s until he retired in February 2006. The new chief executive is Chris Doak, formerly General Manager, Growth and Development for electricity utilities company WEL Networks Ltd.
[edit] Capabilities
Currently, the airport can accommodate many different types of aircraft, including all current piston engine light planes as well as all current commercial turboprop aircraft such as the ATR 72. The airport can handle all light business jets as well as 40-80 seat regional jets such as the Embraer E195 and Bombardier CRJ200. Several airliners can operate from the airport including the 100-200 seat Boeing 737, Boeing 757 and Airbus A320. The largest airplanes that are authorized to land at Hamilton International are the 150-250 seat Boeing 767 and Airbus A300 which are decisively smaller than the long-range intercontinental jets such as the Boeing 747, Boeing 777 or Airbus A330, however plans to increase the runway from 2195m - 2720m to attract larger aircraft and perhaps start Asian flights, are currently [1]being considered.
The airport operates twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.
[edit] Airlines and destinations
[edit] International
- Air New Zealand (Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney)
- Norfolk Air (Norfolk Island)
[edit] Domestic
- Air New Zealand
- Air New Zealand operated by Air Nelson (Wellington)
- Air New Zealand operated by Eagle Airways (Auckland, Palmerston North, Nelson)
- Air New Zealand operated by Mount Cook Airline (Christchurch, Wellington)
- Fernex Airways (Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington)
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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