History
Whangarei District Airport started out as an RNZAF training base during World War II, with pilots practicing bombing raids on the nearby Matakohe Island and Rat Island. The airport had three grass runways initially, with it being reduced to 2 runways (06/24 and 32/14) after the war. Some of the old airforce barracks are still present today, although surrounded by residential properties.
NAC began regular commercial flights between Whangarei and Auckland in 1947.
The existing sealed runway, 06/24 was upgraded in the 1960s to its current length of 1097 m, and involved moving Onerahi Primary School from the eastern end of the airport to its current location.
The airport terminal was built on the northern side of the main runway in the early 1970s, and was upgraded in the early '90s to cater for Eagle Airways aircraft, along with Ansett New Zealand.
In 2002, direct flights linking Whangarei to Wellington International Airport were begun, using Eagle Airways' new Beechcraft 1900s, and became Eagle's longest regular flight service, at 626 km.
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