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 more than a decade living in Sydney before moving to Raglan three years ago. This trip was her first time heading back to Sydney since making the move, with plans to visit her sister.

In a nice twist, Sophia had left someone in charge of her floral business, So Floral, in Raglan completely unaware she was about to become part of a milestone moment.

Thanks to Jetstar, she was surprised with two return tickets to Sydney, giving her another reason to make the trip again soon.

It was also Sophia’s first time flying internationally from Hamilton, and she didn’t hold back on her first impressions. She described the experience as calm, quick, and refreshingly straightforward compared to larger airports. Exactly the kind of feedback the airport team likes to hear.

Hamilton Airport continues to see strong demand for international travel, with Jetstar’s trans-Tasman services playing a key role in connecting the region to Australia.

A big thank you to Jetstar for helping mark the occasion, and safe travels to Sophia as she heads off to Sydney, now with another trip already in the bank. ✈️