Since Arthur Schaef used Lyall Bay beach as a runway for his homemade aircraft in 1911, the location of Wellington Airport and the length of its runway has been continuously controversial. Wellington’s lack of flat land has meant that the history of its airport has been one of construction preceded by years of argument.
The consistent thread has been the efforts of the Chamber of Commerce and City Council aimed at ensuring that the city has a convenient airport, which can accommodate changing aircraft and keep the region connected to the rest of the world.
Total length of runway: 350m
Arthur Schaef trials his homemade monoplane on Lyall Bay beach.
On 11 September 1928 Australian Charles Kingsford-Smith and crew completed the first Tasman flight from Sydney. They circled Wellington but had nowhere to land so flew on to Christchurch to complete their 14 hour 25 minute journey.
Wellington City Council designates 30 hectares of Rongotai as aerodrome.
Total length of runway: 1000m
Chamber of Commerce study identifies Rongotai as the best site for Wellington’s airport
Wellington’s first scheduled services are to Nelson and Blenheim by Cook Strait Airways
A Miles Falcon crashes killing the pilot, the airports only aircraft fatality
Rongotai De Havilland factory opens and eventually builds 344 aircraft for the RNZAF
Total length of runway: 1100m
PM Peter Fraser backs Rongotai as the best airport site for Wellington
Chamber of Commerce backs Rongotai and the construction of an extended N/S runway able to accommodate international services.
Wellington City Council puts forward a plan for a N/S runway on top of Rongotai College. Estimated cost £2.8m
RNZAF 42 squadron takes over the airport. TEAL is established with Qantas and the NZ Government as the main shareholders (100% NZ owned in 1961)
A Lodestar Lockheed landing on the 1,095m E/W runway overruns onto the golf course
NAC is established and starts using DC3 on domestic services. These can’t use Rogotai’s E/W runway so services are moved to Paraparaumu
Total length of runway: 1650m
Government and City agree to progress the construction of a N/S runway on the current site
Ownership agreed at 34% City and 66% Government (Auckland councils received 51% of that airport)
Construction of a 1,660m runway requiring the movement of three million cubic metres earth at a cost of £5 million
TEAL Short Solent flying boat services link Wellington and Sydney
TEAL introduces Lockheed 188c Electra turboprops with link Auckland and Christchurch with Australia
The airport opening ceremony. At Wellington NAC starts domestic services with Vickers Viscounts. TEAL starts international services with Electras (62 passengers)
Total length of runway: 1650m
Chamber of Commerce starts agitating for a runway extension as 1,660m is too short for international jet services
TEAL becomes AirNZ. AirNZ introduces the Douglas DC8 jet on international services, but not from Wellington which because of its short runway is stuck with Electras
First landing of an NAC B737-200
Total length of runway: 1920m
Wellington City Council recommends the runway be eventually extended to 2,440m, but to 1,980m immediately so the Airport can cope with DC8s. The advice is accepted by Government
Completion of the southern extension of the runway by 270 metres at a cost of $3 million. It is announced that a “new terminal is essential
Wellington DC8 services start on the Tasman (131 passengers)
NAC and Air NZ are merged by the government
Total length of runway: 1920m
Air NZ DC8 services terminated
Qantas initiates Tasman services with B747SP which operate until 1985
AirNZ B767-200ER service Wellington- Sydney
Ansett builds its own terminal (the main terminal was jointly owned by AirNZ which refused access to a competitor) Ansett B737-100 initiates services with Auckland and Christchurch, and hot food on flights and airport lounges
Government sells AirNZ to a consortium of airlines and BIL, later 30% is listed
Total length of runway: 1920m
Crown sells 66% of Wellington Airport to NZ Airports which six months later becomes 100% Infratil owned
A new $116 million terminal finally replaces the 1937 De Havilland factory
Total length of runway: 2050m
The airfield is extended 130 metres at a cost of $35 million to meet increased safety standards and to allow larger aircraft to provide Tasman services
The Rock is officially opened
Total length of runway: 2050m
The first commercial flight of the Boeing 787 and clear evidence that it would not be able to fly from Wellington’s runway fully laden to Asia
Consenting of a 300 metre extension of the runway into Lyall Bay
Construction of a 300 metre extension
Total length of runway: 2350m
Potential first direct flight Wellington to Hong Kong