Rotorua Regional Airport

Rotorua Regional Airport

A Bombardier Q300 operated by Air New Zealand's subsidiary Air Nelson parked on the apron.
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 38°06′33″S 176°19′02″E / 38.10917°S 176.31722°E / -38.10917; 176.31722Coordinates: 38°06′33″S 176°19′02″E / 38.10917°S 176.31722°E / -38.10917; 176.31722
Website rotorua-airport.co.nz
Map
ROT

Location of airport in North Island

Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
18R/36L 2,114 6,936 Asphalt
18L/36R 773 2,536 Grass
Statistics (2014)
Passengers 215,276
Source:[1]

Rotorua Regional Airport (IATA: ROT, ICAO: NZRO) is an airport in Rotorua, New Zealand. It is located on Te Ngae Road (SH30) in the suburb of Rotokawa, approximately 6 km north east of Rotorua CBD. The terminal consists of a two-storey building with six tarmac gates and is home to a cafe, book store and conference room. There are general aviation hangars located to both the north and the south of the main terminal, as well as an avgas pump at the southern end of the apron. The airport's main runway (18R/36L) is 2114m long and is sealed with asphalt. There is also a shorter grass runway (18L/36R) which runs parallel to the main runway, although the proximity of the two runways means that they can't be used simultaneously.[2]

Currently, the airport is served by Air New Zealand's regional subsidiaries with flights to Auckland, Wellington, Queenstown and Christchurch and commuter airline Sunair with flights to Gisborne and the North Shore. A number of charter and scenic airlines also operate from the airport on a regular basis. In the past, the airport has been served by a number of airlines on domestic routes including Ansett New Zealand, Origin Pacific Airways and Qantas. Qantas services were withdrawn in 2009 when Jetstar took over domestic flying from its parent.[3] The airport received international services for the first time in December 2011 when Air New Zealand began flights from Sydney, although this service ended in April 2015.

History

An Air New Zealand Fokker F27 on the apron in 1985
Passengers disembarking from a Bombardier Q300, October 2010
A Boeing 737-300 of the now defunct Freedom Air taxis along Runway 36L on 26 October 2005

Rotorua Airport opened in 1964, with a 1378m x 30m sealed runway that could accommodate National Airways Corporation's Douglas DC-3 and Fokker F27 aircraft. It replaced the old Whakarewarewa Aerodrome, which was located just north of Sala Street in what is now a residential area. In 2002, an extension to the southern end of the airport's runway brought its total length to 1622m. Plans to further 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.[4][5][6][7][8]

The initial increase in length would allow operations by Airbus A320 aircraft to Australia, albeit with capacity restrictions, and the subsequent southern extension would allow these aircraft to serve the airport without capacity restrictions.[9] The project was completed in 2009 and brought the combined length of the runway and overrun areas to 2,304 metres.[2] These extensions, in conjunction with the already-completed upgrade of the terminal building and facilities,[10] made the airport capable of handling international flights to Australia. Following the upgrade, Air New Zealand announced that it would begin flights between Rotorua and Sydney on 12 December 2009, the service being partially funded by the Rotorua District Council. To coincide with the introduction of international flights, the airport was renamed Rotorua International Airport.

The flights across the Tasman initially operated twice weekly (on Tuesdays and Saturdays),[11] but dropped to one flight a week during off-peak months before winter services were suspended entirely in 2014.[12] In October 2014, the Rotorua District Council decided, in conjunction with Air New Zealand, to stop subsidising the service as they felt that the amount they were funding, which equated to around $1 million per year, could be better spent on other initiatives. Therefore, it was announced that flights to Sydney would cease, and the final international flight from the airport was on 25 April 2015. Following the discontinuation of international flights, the airport stated that it was going to focus on strengthening domestic routes and was specifically interested in initiating non-stop flights to Queenstown.[13]

Controversy

The expansion of Rotorua Airport to an international airport has encountered both strong opposition and support from locals.[4][14] 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.[15][16][17]

Airlines and destinations

AirlinesDestinations
Air New Zealand Link operated by Air Nelson Auckland, Wellington
Air New Zealand Link operated by Mount Cook Airline Christchurch
Sunair Gisborne, North Shore[18]

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.rdc.govt.nz/our-council/council-publications/Annualreports/Documents/Annual-Report-2013-14.pdf/
  2. 1 2 NZ AIP Rotorua airport plate retrieved 19 December 2009.
  3. ↑ "Jetstar offering fares for NZ debut - Business - NZ Herald News". The New Zealand Herald. 17 February 2009.
  4. 1 2 Airport extension delayed (The Daily Post) 2006-12-27
  5. ↑ "Rotorua airport expansion faces hurdles". National Business Review. Newsroom.co.nz. 13 June 2007. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  6. ↑ Rotorua runway extension hits snag (The Daily Post) 2009-02-26
  7. ↑ Hapu accuses council of racism over airport compo plan (The Daily Post) 2007-06-26
  8. ↑ O'Rourke, Simon (10 May 2007). "Green light for runway that could open tourist gateway". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  9. ↑ nzherald.co.nz (9 January 2006). "Rotorua gets ready for international flights". The New Zealand Herald.
  10. ↑ "Rotorua Airport's new car park system taking off". The New Zealand Herald. The Daily Post. 28 April 2006. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  11. ↑ "Air NZ unveils new Rotorua-Sydney flights". The New Zealand Herald. 7 August 2009. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  12. ↑ "Sydney flights canned for winter". The New Zealand Herald. 27 September 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  13. ↑ "Rotorua to Sydney flights canned". Rotorua Review. 14 October 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  14. ↑ "Council accused of arrogance over runway". The New Zealand Herald. The Daily Post. 8 February 2006. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  15. ↑ "Iwi attacks Rotorua airport plans". National Business Review. Newsroom.co.nz. 26 June 2007. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  16. ↑ "Maori claim airspace above Rotorua marae". The Dominion Post. 24 June 2008. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  17. ↑ The Trees of Te Ngae
  18. ↑ http://3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz/2015/12/sunairs-announces-new-route.html

Further reading

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