It may no longer be New Zealand’s busiest airport, but Christchurch International was the country’s first. With a recently upgraded terminal, Christchurch International Airport is better equipped than ever to welcome millions of passengers to the "Land of the Long White Cloud".
About a dozen airlines run passenger flights through Christchurch International Airport. Domestic routes are naturally very busy with destinations including Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin and Queenstown. Internationally, the most travelled routes go to Australia, by way of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. A few flights reach Asian ports such as Guangzhou and Singapore.
Twelve kilometres north-west of Christchurch’s centre, the airport is well connected to the city. Taxi and bus journeys both last approximately 15 to 20 minutes. There are shuttles and regular Metro Red Bus services to choose from.
Christchurch International Airport first got clearance from the New Zealand government to serve international flights in 1950 and has been growing ever since. The opening of a new terminal in 2013 was just the latest redevelopment in a long line of improvements, including an extension of the main runway in 1963, the addition of a two-level pier to the domestic terminal in 1975 and the construction of a $13 million car park in 2006.