| Rotorua International Airport | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| A Boeing 737-300 of the now defunct Freedom Air taxis along Runway 36L on 26 October 2005 | |||
| IATA: ROT – ICAO: NZRO | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Operator | Rotorua Regional Airport Limited | ||
| Serves | Rotorua and inland Bay of Plenty | ||
| Location | Rotokawa, Rotorua, New Zealand | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 285 m / 936 ft | ||
| Coordinates | |||
| Website | |||
| Map | |||
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ROT
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| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| m | ft | ||
| 18R/36L | 1,762 | 5,781 | Asphalt |
| 18L/36R | 773 | 2,536 | Grass |
| Statistics (2010) | |||
| Passengers | 700,000 | ||
| Source: [1] | |||
Rotorua International Airport is an airport in Rotorua, New Zealand (IATA: ROT, ICAO: NZRO). It originally opened in 1963, with a 1378m x 30m sealed runway so that it could accommodate National Airways Corporation's Douglas DC-3 and Fokker F27 aircraft, replacing the old Whakarewarewa Aerodrome. The old Aerodrome was just north of Sala Street and is now a suburban area.
Today it has more frequent operations, with Air New Zealand's regional subsidiary's. The busiest route is from Rotorua to Christchurch which is operated by Mount Cook Airlines using the ATR 72-500 aircraft. Sometimes an Air New Zealand Boeing 737-300 operates these flights. Currently the largest aircraft servicing the airport are Air New Zealand's Airbus A320s which operate on the Rotorua to Sydney route.
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Rotorua has two runways. The main runway is the sealed 18R/36L. There is also a much shorter parallel grass runway, 18L/36R.[2] In 2002, the airport's asphalt runway was extended to 1622m. Plans to increase the main runway's length in two stages, initially by 150 metres at the northern end followed by 487 metres at the southern end (including newly-mandated overrun areas), were approved in 2008 after a lengthy consultation process and court battle.[3][4][5][6][7] The initial increase in length would allow operations by Airbus A320 aircraft to Australia, albeit with capacity restrictions, while the southern extension would allow full-capacity flights by these aircraft.[8]
Construction began in 2008.[9] Construction was completed in 2009, extending the runway to 1,762 metres in length.[2] The total length of the runway and the overrun areas is now 2,304 metres.[2] The runway extensions, in conjunction with the already-completed upgrade of the terminal building and facilities,[10] allows regular commercial jet services between Rotorua and Australia. After the upgrade was completed Air New Zealand announced that it would begin international flights between Rotorua and Sydney on 12 December 2009, despite the airline opposing the expansion earlier, before construction began.[7] These flights across the Tasman operate twice weekly on Tuesdays and Saturdays During peak times but are often reduced to one flight a week during off peak times.[11]
The conversion of Rotorua Airport to an international airport has encountered both strong opposition and support from locals.[3][12] Critics cite concern over on-going debt servicing and operating costs, anticipated noise levels, the destruction of natural forest and privately owned planted trees to accommodate the newly lowered flight path, and potential safety issues. The Ngati Uenukukopako tribe, whose marae is located at the northern end of the runway, have taken a complaint to the New Zealand Human Rights Commission, and residents at the southern end of the runway continue to resist the Airport Company's programme to enforce cutting of trees which have been a longstanding feature of the area.[13][14][15]
The airport is located around 9.17 kilometres (5.70 mi) northeast of Rotorua on Te Ngae Road (SH30).
| Airlines | Destinations | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Air New Zealand | Sydney | International |
| Air New Zealand operated by Air Nelson | Wellington | Domestic |
| Air New Zealand operated by Eagle Airways | Auckland, Wellington | Domestic |
| Air New Zealand operated by Mount Cook Airline | Christchurch, Queenstown | Domestic |
| Sunair | Gisborne, Kerikeri, Napier, Whangarei | Domestic |
| White Island Flights operated by East Bay Aviation | Whakatane | Domestic |
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