Christchurch International Airport (IATA: CHC, ICAO: NZCH) is the main airport that serves Christchurch, New Zealand. It is located 12 kilometres to the northwest of the city centre, in the suburb of Harewood. Christchurch (Harewood) Airport officially opened 18 May 1940 and became New Zealand's first International Airport 16th Dec 1950.
The primary runway, 02/20, is oriented near perpendicular to Canterbury's Nor'wester foehn wind. It is due to this crosswind that the secondary runway, 11/29, is a cross-runway (at a right angle to the primary runway), and is used during Nor'westers by all aircraft up to Boeing 777.
Due to increasing passenger numbers, the airport is completing construction on a new Domestic terminal upgrade costing over $200 million. The new construction's primary wing opened in 2011 and is scheduled for completion in late 2012, with some work such as demolition and apron works continuing into 2013.
Read more about Christchurch International Airport: History, Airport Redevelopment, Airlines and Destinations, Facts & Figures, Access, Ground Transport, and Parking
Famous quotes containing the word airport:
“Airplanes are invariably scheduled to depart at such times as 7:54, 9:21 or 11:37. This extreme specificity has the effect on the novice of instilling in him the twin beliefs that he will be arriving at 10:08, 1:43 or 4:22, and that he should get to the airport on time. These beliefs are not only erroneous but actually unhealthy.”
—Fran Lebowitz (b. 1950)