Auckland International Airport
Auckland International Airport is the main international airport of New Zealand. The airport is located at Mangere in the outskirts of Auckland, New Zealand. The airport's IATA Airport Code is AKL. This airport is a hub for Air New Zealand.The current site of the airport at Mangere was first used as an airfield by the Auckland Aero Club. In 1928, the club leased some land from a dairy farmer to accommodate the club's three Gipsy Moths. The club president noted at the time that the site "has many advantages of vital importance for an aerodrome and training ground. It has good approaches, is well drained and is free from power lines, buildings and fogs."
Mangere airfield became the official Auckland airport in 1937.
In 1960, work started to transform the site into Auckland's main airport. When the airport opened in November 1965, the first flight to leave from was an Air New Zealand DC-8 bound for Sydney.
A new international terminal, named after Jean Batten, was completed in 1977. The airport processes 8.8 million passengers each a year. In the last week of November 2003, the airport processed 129,222 international passengers - the highest weekly amount in their history.
There have been only two fatal accidents on or near the airport:
On July 4, 1966, an Air New Zealand Douglas DC-8 operating a training flight crashed on the runway shortly after taking off, killing two of the five crew (no passengers were onboard).
On February 17, 1979, and Air New Zealand Fokker Friendship crashed into Manukau Harbour while on final approach. One of the crew and one company staff member were killed.
Airlines currently serving Auckland International Airport
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