Nelson Airport (New Zealand)

Nelson Airport Te Papa Waka Rererangi o Whakatū
Nelson Airport, 1977
IATA: NSN – ICAO: NZNS NSN Location of airport in the northern South Island
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Nelson Airport Limited
Location	Nelson, New Zealand
Elevation AMSL	17 ft / 5 m
Coordinates	41°17′54″S 173°13′16″E / 41.29833°S 173.22111°E / -41.29833; 173.22111Coordinates: 41°17′54″S 173°13′16″E / 41.29833°S 173.22111°E / -41.29833; 173.22111
Website	www.NelsonAirport.co.nz
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 02R/20L 1,347 4,420 Asphalt 02L/20R 731 2,398 Grass/Dirt 06/24 670 2,200 Grass/Dirt 17/35 600 1,970 Grass/Dirt
Statistics (2012)
Passengers 776,448
Sources: Airport,[1] AIP,[2] DAFIF,[3][4][5]

Nelson Airport (Māori: Te Papa Waka Rererangi o Whakatū, (IATA: NSN, ICAO: NZNS)) is located 6 km southwest of the city, in the suburb of Annesbrook, in Nelson, New Zealand. Approximately 1.2 million passengers and visitors use the airport terminal annually.^[6] Total passenger numbers for the 2011 financial year were 758,250. This represents passenger growth of approximately 11% on the previous year.^[5] It is currently the sixth busiest airport in New Zealand by passengers and seventh by aircraft movements.

Construction of Nelson Airport commenced in 1937.^[7] In 2006, the airport received restricted international airport status and it has handled international private jets since then. In terms of scheduled aircraft movements Nelson is the eighth busiest airport in New Zealand. The airport averages 80 aircraft movements each day, with an aircraft departing or arriving on average every six minutes during scheduled hours.^[8]

Nelson airport is the home base of Air Nelson operating under the Air NZ Link banner, which operates a fleet of Bombardier Dash 8 Q300s on national air routes. Air New Zealand, Air Nelson's parent airline, recently expanded its Nelson base, investing 30 million dollars to develop the engineering and technical workshops. Air New Zealand then announced the Air Nelson maintenance facility would also handle fellow subsidiary Mount Cook Airline's fleet of ATR 72-500/600 aircraft.^[9]

The airport has a single terminal building with 9 tarmac gates. A further 7 remote gates are located adjacent to the terminal.

In 2014, Nelson City Council deemed the main terminal of Nelson Airport an earthquake risk and at fault of possible liquefaction. The airport has been granted 10 years to upgrade the terminal to meet current building standards.^[10]

Nelson Airport terminal in 2012

Airlines and destinations

Scheduled

Air New Zealand operate daily up to ten flights to Auckland, thirteen flights to Wellington, Two flights to Palmerston North and seven flights to Christchurch.^[13]

As Nelson is a maintenance hub for Mount Cook Airline's ATR 72 aircraft, occasional Air Nelson Q300 services are changed to the ATR 72 if the aircraft needs a check in Nelson.

On 17 September 2013, the idea for a potential Auckland, Nelson and Queenstown air link was raised with Air New Zealand's chief executive.^[14]

Charter

Sounds Air offer a number of scenic and charter flight services out of Nelson. Popular charters are Blenheim, Picton, Karamea and Awaroa. Sounds Air provides the main air link into Awaroa for Awaroa Lodge.^[15]

See also

• List of airports in New Zealand
• List of airlines of New Zealand
• Transport in New Zealand
• List of busiest airports in New Zealand

References

1. ↑ Nelson Airport, official site
2. ↑ Charts for NZNS at AIP New Zealand
3. ↑ Airport information for NZNS at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.Source: DAFIF.
4. ↑ Airport information for NSN / NZNS at Great Circle Mapper. Source: AIP, CAA, DAFIF.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 http://www.nelsonairport.co.nz/airport_services.php?page=reportsandplans
6. ↑ Welcome to Nelson Airport
7. ↑ Nelson Aerodrome, Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 32, 8 February 1937, Page 7
8. ↑ http://www.nelsonairport.co.nz/airport_services.html
9. ↑ "Air Nelson to be given leeway over expansion". The Nelson Mail. Retrieved 27 October 2011. 
10. ↑ "Airport has 10 years to upgrade terminal". Nelson Mail. 11 June 2014. 
11. ↑ http://www.adventureflightsgoldenbay.co.nz/Heaphy_Flights_Walk.html Adventure Flights Golden Bay - Heaphy Flights Walk
12. ↑ http://www.goldenbayair.co.nz/heaphytrack.html Golden Bay Air - Heaphy Track
13. ↑ http://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/schedules/headeritd.aspx?countrycode=NZ&language=EN
14. ↑ http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/9179951/High-hopes-for-air-link-plan
15. ↑ Sounds Air

External links

• Accident history for NSN / NZNS at Aviation Safety Network

A Beechcraft 1900 lifting off from Nelson Airport in New Zealand.

Airports in New Zealand Airports with scheduled international and domestic services Auckland Christchurch Dunedin Queenstown Wellington Airports with scheduled domestic services Ardmore Blenheim Chatham Islands Claris Gisborne Hamilton Hawke's Bay Hokitika Invercargill Kaitaia Kapiti Coast Karamea Kerikeri Nelson New Plymouth North Shore Okiwi Palmerston North Picton Rotorua Stewart Island Takaka Taupo Tauranga Timaru Waiheke Island Wairoa Wanganui Westport Whakatane Whangarei Whitianga Airports without scheduled services Alexandra Ashburton Balclutha Coromandel Cromwell Dannevirke Dargaville Feilding Forest Field Fox Glacier Foxton Franz Josef Galatea Glenorchy Glentanner Gore Greymouth Haast Hanmer Springs Hastings Jacks Point Kaikohe Kaikoura Lumsden Mandeville Martinborough Masterton Matamata Milford Sound Motueka Mount Cook Oamaru Omaka Omarama Opotiki Parakai Pauanui Pitt Island Rangiora Roxburgh Taieri (Mosgiel) Tauramanui Te Anau/Manapouri Te Awamutu Te Kowhai Te Kuiti Tekapo Thames Tokoroa Tongariro Turangi Twizel/Pukaki Waihi Beach Waimate Waipukurau Wanaka West Melton Military airbases (operational) Ohakea Waiouru Whenuapai Woodbourne Closed airports (and airbases) Bell Block Dawson Farm Evans Bay Hobsonville Kohimarama Beach Mangere Mechanics Bay Mt Iron Norwood Ocean Beach (Bluff) Seagrove Shelly Bay Te Anau Te Pirita Waimakariri Waipapakauri Wigram Whataroa (Wataroa) List of airports in New Zealand