Chathams Island, New Zealand upgrades for jet operations

The New Zealand government has approved funding for the lengthening and strengthening of the runway at Chatham Island Tuuta Airport in the same-named Pacific Ocean archipelago east of South Island.

The cost of the upgrade was not mentioned, but it will mean the airport and its runway will, in future, be able to accommodate B737 and A320 size jets.

Chatham Islands Airport in a statement confirmed the announcement, adding that construction work would start in late August 2021 with completion scheduled for July 2022. Runway 05/23 will be extended at the western end from 1,360m to 1,850m. Strengthening will allow up to 30 departures per month.

Home-based carrier Air Chathams (3C, Chatham Island) was not immediately available for comment. It currently provides weekly services from the airport to Auckland Int’l and Christchurch, and 3x weekly flights to Wellington, using its only ATR72-500, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows. It also operates two S340A(QC)s and one S340B. According to the New Zeland aircraft register, its fleet also comprises another Saab 340B ZK-CIZ (msn 340B-357); one DC-3 ZK-AWP (msn 33135); one CV-580 freighter ZK-CIB (msn 327A), another Convair CV-580 ZK-CIE (msn 399), one CV-440 ZK-KFL (msn 372); two Fairchild SA227-ACs ZK-CIC (msn AC623B) and ZK-CID (msn AC692B); two Fairchild SA227-CCs ZK-POE (msn CC-843B) and ZK0POF (msn CC-844B); one Aero Commander ZK-PVB (msn 11321) flying with NZ Aerial Mapping; one Cessna (single turboprop) TU206G Turbo Stationair ZK-KMH (msn U20604075); and one Hughes 269C helicopter ZK-HIS (msn 1100994).

The airport has an elevation of 11.8m MSL. It is located about 20km northeast of the town of Waitangi.

The project forms part of a suite of projects identified through the Chatham Islands Investment Strategy aimed at promoting sustainable economic growth on the islands.