Hamilton International Airport
Encyclopedia
For the airport in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, see Hamilton/John C. Munro International Airport
.
The Hamilton International Airport is an airport located in the Waikato
region, in New Zealand
. It is sited at Rukuhia, which was the name of the Royal New Zealand Air Force
base on that site during World War II
.
that would land after a long journey. Services provided 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 councils representing Hamilton city
(50 percent), Waikato district (15.625 percent), Waipa district (15.625 percent), Matamata-Piako district (15.625 percent) and Otorohonga district (3.125 percent). This development led to unprecedented growth for the airport.
In 1994 the airport became a terminal for Trans Tasman
air routes, with charter flights provided on Boeing 757
s by Kiwi International Airlines of New Zealand (not to be confused with the United States
based Kiwi International Air Lines
). New Zealand's Kiwi went bankrupt in 1996, but by that time Freedom Air
, had begun flying the same route with Boeing 737
aircraft. Freedom Air ultimately decided to make Hamilton International Airport their company hub.
Ansett built an independent passenger terminal to the south of the main building. Equipping it with a 'Golden Wing Club' lounge and food vending machines. The airline's Ansett NZ division, operated flights to Wellington from Hamilton from 1995 until 2000, when Ansett NZ was sold to a New Zealand business consortium and rebranded Qantas
NZ, with their own New Zealand domestic flights division. Qantas NZ operated at the airport until 2001 when it went into receivership. The terminal was then occupied by Origin Pacific airlines. This airline operated domestic services until it too went bankrupt in 2004. The small terminal was then left unused.
In 1998 Hamilton Airport Motor Inn was developed to cater for travellers using the airport.
A NZ$15.3 million terminal expansion begun in 2005 featured a 60 percent increase in floorspace with improved baggage handling areas, better international and domestic check-in space, and passenger security screening. It was completed in 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 Diamond DA20
and Cessna 172
, and twin-engined Diamond DA42
Twin Star aircraft.
Hugh McCarroll was the airport's chief executive from the early 2000s until retirement in February 2006. Current chief executive is Chris Doak, formerly growth and development general manager for electricity utilities company WEL Networks
.
. 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 aircraft authorised to land at Hamilton are the 150-250 seat Boeing 767
and Airbus A300
. Plans to increase runway length from 2195m to 3000m to attract larger aircraft and start Asian regional flights, have been considered.
The airport operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
August 2011: Approval has been got by Hamilton International Airport to extent its runway up to 3,000 metres long as same size as secondary airports in other parts of the world, such as the Gold Coast
. It will finish before 15 years approval end.
Hamilton/John C. Munro International Airport
John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport or Hamilton International, , is an international airport in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It is named for John C...
.
The Hamilton International Airport is an airport located in the Waikato
Waikato
The Waikato Region is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato, Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the northern King Country, much of the Taupo District, and parts of Rotorua District...
region, in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It is sited at Rukuhia, which was the name of the Royal New Zealand Air Force
Royal New Zealand Air Force
The Royal New Zealand Air Force is the air arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...
base on that site during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
History
As the world prepared for war, it became clear that a landing strip needed to be constructed in the Hamilton area. By 1935, the air strip was already in service, as a stop over for military aircraftMilitary aircraft
A military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary armed service of any type. Military aircraft can be either combat or non-combat:...
that would land after a long journey. Services provided refueling
Fuel
Fuel is any material that stores energy that can later be extracted to perform mechanical work in a controlled manner. Most fuels used by humans undergo combustion, a redox reaction in which a combustible substance releases energy after it ignites and reacts with the oxygen in the air...
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
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
In 1989, the New Zealand government sold the airport to councils representing Hamilton city
Hamilton City Council
The Hamilton City Council is the governing body of the City of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.The current council consists of the mayor plus fifteen councillors, one elected from each of the city's wards. The incumbent council was elected in a municipal election on November 13, 2006...
(50 percent), Waikato district (15.625 percent), Waipa district (15.625 percent), Matamata-Piako district (15.625 percent) and Otorohonga district (3.125 percent). This development led to unprecedented growth for the airport.
In 1994 the airport became a terminal for Trans Tasman
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...
air routes, with charter flights provided on Boeing 757
Boeing 757
The Boeing 757 is a mid-size, narrow-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the twinjet have a capacity of 186 to 289 persons and a maximum range of , depending on variant and cabin configuration...
s by Kiwi International Airlines of New Zealand (not to be confused with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
based Kiwi International Air Lines
Kiwi International Air Lines
Kiwi International Air Lines was a Part 121 American airline that operated from September 21, 1992 to March 24, 1999. It had its headquarters in the Hemisphere Center in Newark, New Jersey....
). New Zealand's Kiwi went bankrupt in 1996, but by that time Freedom Air
Freedom Air
Freedom Air was Air New Zealand Group's low-cost airline which operated from December 1995 to March 2008. It ran scheduled passenger services from New Zealand to Australia and Fiji and charter services within New Zealand...
, had begun flying the same route with Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
aircraft. Freedom Air ultimately decided to make Hamilton International Airport their company hub.
Ansett built an independent passenger terminal to the south of the main building. Equipping it with a 'Golden Wing Club' lounge and food vending machines. The airline's Ansett NZ division, operated flights to Wellington from Hamilton from 1995 until 2000, when Ansett NZ was sold to a New Zealand business consortium and rebranded Qantas
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
NZ, with their own New Zealand domestic flights division. Qantas NZ operated at the airport until 2001 when it went into receivership. The terminal was then occupied by Origin Pacific airlines. This airline operated domestic services until it too went bankrupt in 2004. The small terminal was then left unused.
In 1998 Hamilton Airport Motor Inn was developed to cater for travellers using the airport.
A NZ$15.3 million terminal expansion begun in 2005 featured a 60 percent increase in floorspace with improved baggage handling areas, better international and domestic check-in space, and passenger security screening. It was completed in 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 Diamond DA20
Diamond DA20
The Diamond DA20 is a two-seat tricycle gear general aviation aircraft designed for flight training. In addition to its role as a civil and military training aircraft, it is also used for personal flying by pilot-owners.-Development:...
and Cessna 172
Cessna 172
The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a four-seat, single-engine, high-wing fixed-wing aircraft. First flown in 1955 and still in production, more Cessna 172s have been built than any other aircraft.-Design and development:...
, and twin-engined Diamond DA42
Diamond DA42
The Diamond DA42 Twin Star is a four seat, twin engine, propeller-driven airplane manufactured by Diamond Aircraft Industries. Its airframe is molded largely of composite materials.-Development:...
Twin Star aircraft.
Hugh McCarroll was the airport's chief executive from the early 2000s until retirement in February 2006. Current chief executive is Chris Doak, formerly growth and development general manager for electricity utilities company WEL Networks
WEL Networks
WEL Networks Limited is an electricity distribution company, serving the Waikato Region in New Zealand. WEL is the fifth largest electricity distribution companies in New Zealand, with over 80,000 connections and 4,900 km of lines....
.
Capabilities
The airport currently accommodates many different types of aircraft, from piston-engined light aircraft to commercial turboprop aircraft such as the ATR 72ATR 72
The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop short-haul regional airliner built by the French-Italian aircraft manufacturer ATR. ATR and Airbus are both built in Toulouse, and share resources and technology...
. The airport can handle all light business jets as well as 40-80 seat regional jets such as the Embraer
Embraer
Embraer S.A. is a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate that produces commercial, military, and executive aircraft and provides aeronautical services....
E195 and Bombardier CRJ200
Bombardier CRJ200
The Bombardier CRJ100 and CRJ200 are a family of regional airliner manufactured by Bombardier, and based on the Canadair Challenger business jet.-Development:...
. Several airliners can operate from the airport including the 100-200 seat Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
, Boeing 757
Boeing 757
The Boeing 757 is a mid-size, narrow-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the twinjet have a capacity of 186 to 289 persons and a maximum range of , depending on variant and cabin configuration...
and Airbus A320
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
. The largest aircraft authorised to land at Hamilton are the 150-250 seat Boeing 767
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...
and Airbus A300
Airbus A300
The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody jet airliner. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of Airbus Industrie, a consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS...
. Plans to increase runway length from 2195m to 3000m to attract larger aircraft and start Asian regional flights, have been considered.
The airport operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
August 2011: Approval has been got by Hamilton International Airport to extent its runway up to 3,000 metres long as same size as secondary airports in other parts of the world, such as the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
. It will finish before 15 years approval end.