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Door stays open for airport growth

Picture: Barry Harris (board chair) and Mark Morgan (Group CE)An independent commissioner says Hamilton Airport has made a compelling case to keep the door open for a future runway extension.If so, that could open up the airport to more international routes and bigger aircraft – but not for some time yet.The airport has been granted the maximum 15-year extensions to the lapse period of three designations. The designations protect land around the airport which would enable a longer runway ...

Flying a plane home ... to Slovenia!

When most people buy an aircraft, arranging delivery usually means putting it on a ship or into a container.Slovenian pilot Marjan has chosen a different option. He's flying his newly purchased 2003 Lancair-ES all the way home.The sleek four-seat aircraft was recently purchased in Motueka. Over the next three weeks, Marjan and fellow pilot and content creator Filip will set off on an extraordinary journey, crossing countries, oceans and continents before the aircraft begins its next chapter in E...

Precinct North milestone reached as first building completed early

Hamilton Airport has marked a major milestone in the expansion of its business park, with the first building in Precinct North completed ahead of schedule.The 5,000sqm purpose-built facility has been developed for New Zealand-owned Asmuss, which becomes the inaugural tenant in the newest stage of the 170-hectare Titanium Park.Asmuss’ lease begins in May, with operations at its new pipe extrusion plant likely to be fully underway by August. Around 40 staff will relocate from the company’s exi...

Congrats to our ITM Taupō Super 440 winners!

Congratulations to our Super 440 promotion winners, Liz and Roy who set off to Taupō earlier in April  for a weekend that, for them, wasn’t just another motorsport event. It was a return to something familiar.Roy spent 32 years with Dick Johnson Racing, starting back in 1980 working on the iconic XD Falcon. The one with the kind of record that still raises eyebrows: 23 starts, 17 wins, and a Bathurst victory in 1981. Liz was part of the same world too, working across merch, online o...

Hamilton Airport welcomes 100,000 international passengers with Jetstar

Hamilton Airport reached a meaningful milestone today, welcoming its 100,000th international passenger travelling with Jetstar Airways.“Reaching 100,000 international passengers is a strong signal of demand for the Waikato. It shows how valuable these connections are, not just for travel, but for keeping people, businesses, and communities linked across the Tasman,” said Mark Morgan, chief executive of Hamilton Airport.Marking the moment was Sophia, originally from Hawke’s Bay, who spent m...

Resilience boost 'great news' for aviation

Hamilton Airport says a $6.5 million loan from the Regional Infrastructure Fund is great news for New Zealand’s entire aviation network.The Regional Infrastructure Fund loan was announced today by Regional Development Minister Shane Jones. It will be used to extend the Hamilton runway and apron space so a wider range of aircraft, including wide-body jets such as B787s or A330s can land and depart from Hamilton.It means during adverse events or emergencies, Hamilton could play a key role in red...

Air passengers pouring in, out of Hamilton

Tens of thousands more air passengers are pouring through Hamilton Airport as travellers cash in on more choice and cheaper air fares.In its six-month report (1 July 2025 – 31 December 2025) Hamilton Airport  passenger numbers are up 39 per cent  compared to the same period in 2024. That’s an increase of 71,000 travellers.Of those, around 55,000 were on international flights between Hamilton, Sydney and the Gold Coast. Jetstar launched daily international flights to Australia in Ju...

Dol appointed to airport senior team

Hamilton Airport has seconded well-known Waikato-based project director Rob Dol to its senior team.From January 2026, Dol will join the airport management team full-time for two years. He will move from his current role as project director at Colliers Project Leaders to become the airport’s group general manager – property and infrastructure.Waikato Regional Airport Ltd (WRAL) chief executive Mark Morgan said Dol’s appointment was a natural transition given his long-standing involvement wi...

Jetstar launches direct flights to Hamilton to Christchurch, with sales fares from $53*

Monday, 1 December 2025: Jetstar’s first-ever direct flight between Hamilton and Christchurch takes off today, launching a brand-new daily link between Waikato and the South Island.The service will offer more than 135,000 seats annually between the two cities on Jetstar's A320 aircraft, giving Hamilton locals a faster, easier and more affordable way to get Christchurch without the detour through Auckland.New Zealand growth: Hamilton to Christchurch is the latest addition to Jetstar’s ra...

Announcing our New General Manager – Aeronautical Growth & Marketing

Hamilton Airport is pleased to announce the appointment of Michelle Noordermeer as Group General Manager – Aeronautical Growth & Marketing. Michelle brings a wealth of experience in aviation strategy, route development, marketing, and sustainability, having held senior roles with Air New Zealand, Auckland Airport, and Carbon Click.In her new role, Michelle will lead initiatives to further grow our aviation business, strengthen route connectivity, and deliver innovative marketing and sustai...

Airport star scoops national award

A part-time job in the airport bookshop has kick-started a promising aviation career for Hamilton Airport’s 28-year-old Karen Wilson.So much so, Wilson has already been named Emerging Leader of the Year at the 2025 New Zealand Airport Awards.The award recognises Wilson’s ‘significant contribution to the sector’ and tops a five-year journey at Hamilton Airport. It’s a long way from Wilson’s original plan to finish a university degree and become a geography teacher.“I literally had a...

JetPark Hamilton Airport Hotel achieves prestigious Qualmark Gold 4 Star+

JetPark Hamilton Airport Hotel & Conference Centre is proud to announce that it has officially been awarded Qualmark Gold 4 Star+ -  New Zealand tourism’s official mark of quality.This achievement means that all three properties in the JetPark Hotels portfolio - JetPark Auckland, JetPark Hamilton, and JetPark Rotorua - now hold Qualmark Gold accreditation, placing the group firmly among the leaders in sustainable tourism and guest experience. For guests, the recognition is more t...

Jetstar to launch daily Hamilton-Christchurch flight

Hamilton Airport has landed another boost for the Waikato economy, with Jetstar announcing it will start daily jet services between Hamilton and Christchurch from 1 December 2025.The new service will deliver 186 extra seats each way, every day, adding 100,000-plus more passengers annually and lifting the airport’s total passenger count to more than half a million travellers each year.It’s the first time ever Jetstar has operated a domestic route out of Hamilton, and ...

Thousands of options for house-hunting bats!

(Image shows Cambrilea founder, Charlie Lea (left) and Waikato Regional Airport Chief Executive, Mark Morgan (right).House hunting Hamilton bats have 45000 more options to choose from after a tree planting project at the city’s airport reached a major milestone this week.To be fair, it’ll be a few years before the trees are ready to roost in and there’s another 35000 to be planted before the project is complete.The initiative will provide a habitat for the endangered long-tailed bat (pekap...

Sod turned for first build at Precinct North

Soil has been turned on the first major building at Precinct North, part of the massive Titanium Park business and industrial estate being developed at Hamilton Airport.New Zealand-owned company Asmuss will be the first tenant at Precinct North, the newest stage of the 170-hectare business park bordering Hamilton Airport. Titanium Park Ltd (TPL) is  the property arm of  Waikato Regional Airport Ltd. The first sod was turned this week on a purpose-built 5,000-square metre building ...

Hamilton back on international radar

Hamilton Airport reopens as an international gateway today for the first time in more than a decade - and the team behind it is ecstatic.Jetstar flight JQ165 from Sydney will touch down in Hamilton around 11.15am today before the A320 aircraft reloads and takes passengers back to Sydney. From today, Jetstar will operate seven trans-Tasman services per week out of Hamilton: three return flights to and from the Gold Coast, and four return flights between Hamilton and Sydney.Hamilton Airport c...

Blessing marks milestone for Hamilton Airport

A blessing was held at Hamilton Airport today to thank contractors and border agencies and welcome new staff involved in the airport’s refurbished international terminal.The cultural ceremony reflects the importance of whakapapa of the land and acknowledges the renewal of the terminal building to welcome overseas visitors.The terminal will officially open for business on Monday, June 16 when the first Jetstar flight from Sydney touches down in Hamilton, before boarding passengers and flying ba...

Start your engines … jets back to Hamilton

Hamilton Airport’s decision to also invest in domestic jet capability has already paid off with  the return of local jet services to the airport for the first time in 25 years.Air New Zealand today confirmed it will operate a 171-seat Airbus A320 on the Hamilton–Christchurch route from 18 September.  The two ATR turboprop aircraft currently servicing the route will be redeployed.The new five-day-a-week jet service marks the first time in 25 years Hamilton has hosted a domestic jet...

Watch: Take a walk through Hamilton's new international terminal

(Article via Waikato Times)...

Tempting more domestic jets

(Caption: Hamilton Airport Operations general manager Ben Langley in the Customs area)This article appeared in the Waikato Business News - 5/5/25For 13 years, our business travellers have been forced to deal with Auckland traffic (and Auckland parking charges) before even boarding for the short, three-hour flight across the Tasman....

Hotel enjoys summer booking ‘bounce’

Summer events have pushed the Hamilton Airport Hotel and Conference Centre to its best trading month since May 2019.The 62-room hotel, owned by Waikato Regional Airport Ltd (WRAL) has seen a steady increase in bookings since it was purchased in 2019. It is managed by JetPark which successfully owns and operates properties in Rotorua and Auckland.WRAL chief executive Mark Morgan said the hotel had enjoyed “a fantastic bounce” from events at Mystery Creek and Lake Karapiro over the past summer...

Puppy in training had tongues wagging

(Image: Andrew Hugill - Group Property Manager, Kermit and Brett Wallace, puppy trainer)Hamilton Airport has a nose for a good story.In September last year the airport announced it was going international again, with daily Jetstar flights heading back and forth between Hamilton, Sydney and the Gold Coast from June 2025.The announcement created headlines on both sides of the Tasman, with Hamilton celebrating the thought of 100,000 passengers and a big economic boost.But the story itself, which ha...

Crews raise the roof at airport all-nighter

Contractors have pulled an all-nighter at Hamilton Airport to install vital equipment in readiness for international flights.In June this year, Qantas-owned Jetstar will launch direct flights to and from Hamilton, Sydney and the Gold Coast – the first scheduled international flights in and out of Hamilton for 13 years.In readiness, the airport is investing close to $5 million refurbishing its northern passenger terminal, including meeting legal requirements from border agencies and the Civil A...

Sunair launches direct flights to Whakatane

Air travellers are now being offered direct return flights from Hamilton Airport to Whakatane, five days a week.The new service, on a Piper Aztec 6-seater, was launched by Sunair this month, becoming the fourth Sunair destination out of Hamilton. In April 2023, Sunair successful began daily week day flights connecting Hamilton to Gisborne, Whangarei and Napier.Waikato Regional Airport Ltd (WRAL) chief executive Mark Morgan said the new weekday route was a vote of confidence in Hamilton and the g...

Congratulations to Longveld: winners of the People & Culture Award

Hamilton Airport is the proud sponsor of the People & Culture Award at the Waikato Chamber of Commerce Business Awards 2024.  This is the third year this award has been available to enter and we commend the finalists for this year:LongveldLivingstone BuildingPure LightingWaitomo Group A big congratulations to Longveld who were the worthy recipients of this year's award - well done team, an awesome achievement!(Photography by Barker Photography)...