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Auckland Airport is carrying out its biggest redevelopment since the airport opened in 1966 with a new domestic terminal to be fully integrated into the international terminal.
Auckland Airport Chair, Patrick Strange said: “This is a major investment for Auckland Airport, one which we have been working towards for many years.
“The domestic terminal is almost 60 years old and needs replacing. It’s nearing capacity and it’s no longer fit for purpose and hasn’t been for some time. If it wasn’t for the pandemic, we would already be well underway with its replacement.”
Auckland Airport has been consulting with its major airline customers since May 2011 on a replacement for the ageing domestic terminal and plans to build an integrated terminal. Over that time 21 concept designs have been developed by Auckland Airport and discussed with major airlines as part of the consultation process.
Strange added: “Every dollar we spend on this infrastructure will serve travellers, airlines and New Zealand well into the future.
“It will ensure New Zealand’s main gateway is resilient and sustainable, supporting airline ambitions for a low-carbon future and strengthening our infrastructure in the face of increasingly severe weather events due to climate change.”
Following an earlier decision in 2019, the Auckland Airport Board today reaffirmed its commitment to the integration of domestic and international travel, giving approval for the project to move into the final stages of design as part of a circa NZ$3.9bn construction programme to take place over the next five to six years (this includes the circa NZ$2.2bn combined terminal plus a number of other key projects associated with that development).
Photo: Inovo
The terminal integration programme – a significant part of the airport’s wider 10-year-capital programme – will bring domestic travel and international travel together under the same roof for the first time since 1977, via an expansion at the eastern end of the existing international terminal building.
The integration programme is also an important enabler in allowing the hub to carry out key upgrades on the airfield to ensure the airport remains resilient.
Auckland Airport’s Chief Executive, Carrie Hurihanganui said: “This is all about building the gateway Auckland and New Zealand need.
“A new domestic terminal integrated into the international terminal will make Auckland Airport fit for the future, providing a much-improved experience for travellers – something they’ve clearly and repeatedly told us they want.
“They’re asking for a domestic facility that offers modern spaces, efficient passenger processing areas, improved bathroom facilities and faster baggage systems, as well as better connections between domestic and international travel and via public transport and the city.”
Set to open between 2028 and 2029, the combined terminal will serve the larger and more efficient domestic jet aircraft flying to and from Auckland to New Zealand’s other main centres, alongside international operations.
Smart baggage systems will save time, there will be faster links to public transport via a new transport hub and new gates and other facilities will help airlines speed-up turn-around times.
The new combined terminal will add floor space across two levels to the existing international terminal building, with the wider integration programme including significant upgrades to airfield pavement, underlying utilities.
While the combined terminal is under construction, domestic travel will continue to operate from the existing domestic terminal.
Until the new domestic terminal opens, facilities at the current domestic terminal, including bathrooms, helpdesks, and dwell spaces, will be upgraded and renovated.
