List of the busiest airports in New Zealand

This is a list of the busiest airports in New Zealand by passenger numbers and aircraft movements. Passenger numbers are tabulated annually at the end of the financial year (30 June, for the majority of airports). The top 15 airports are shown.

Auckland Airport

Christchurch Airport

Wellington Airport

Queenstown Airport

Nelson Airport

Dunedin Airport

Passenger numbers

2024

Rank	Airport	IATA	Location	Passengers
1.	Auckland Airport	AKL	Auckland	18,528,725[1]
2.	Christchurch Airport	CHC	Christchurch	6,445,475[2]
3.	Wellington Airport	WLG	Wellington	5,446,121[3]
4.	Queenstown Airport	ZQN	Queenstown	2,487,626[4]
5.	Nelson Airport	NSN	Nelson	915,600[5]
6.	Dunedin Airport	DUD	Dunedin	903,906[6]
7.	Hawkes Bay Airport	NPE	Napier
8.	Tauranga Airport	TRG	Tauranga
9.	Palmerston North Airport	PMR	Palmerston North	547,721[7]
10.	Hamilton Airport	HLZ	Hamilton	371,000
11.	Invercargill Airport	IVC	Invercargill	366,114
12.	New Plymouth Airport	NPL	New Plymouth
13.	Blenheim Airport	BHE	Blenheim
14.	Rotorua Airport	ROT	Rotorua
15.	Gisborne Airport	GIS	Gisborne	228,639[8]

2023

Rank	Airport	IATA	Location	Passengers
1.	Auckland Airport	AKL	Auckland	15,861,264[9]
2.	Christchurch Airport	CHC	Christchurch	6,012,328[10]
3.	Wellington Airport	WLG	Wellington	5,413,325[11]
4.	Queenstown Airport	ZQN	Queenstown	2,370,320[12]
5.	Dunedin Airport	DUD	Dunedin	920,349[13]
6.	Nelson Airport	NSN	Nelson	915,173[14]
7.	Hawkes Bay Airport	NPE	Napier	646,096[15]
8.	Palmerston North Airport	PMR	Palmerston North	534,651[16]
9.	Tauranga Airport	TRG	Tauranga	531,041[17]
10.	New Plymouth Airport	NPL	New Plymouth	401,686[18]
11.	Hamilton Airport	HLZ	Hamilton	378,000[19]
12.	Invercargill Airport	IVC	Invercargill	375,000[20]
13.	Blenheim Airport	BHE	Blenheim	318,517[21]
14.	Rotorua Airport	ROT	Rotorua	219,948[22]
15.	Gisborne Airport	GIS	Gisborne	210,215[23]

2022

Rank	Airport	IATA	Location	Passengers
1.	Auckland Airport	AKL	Auckland	11,460,325[24]
2.	Wellington Airport	WLG	Wellington	3,455,858[25]
3.	Christchurch Airport	CHC	Christchurch	3,257,414 [26]
4.	Queenstown Airport	ZQN	Queenstown	1,863,590[27]
5.	Dunedin Airport	DUD	Dunedin	626,619[28]
6.	Nelson Airport	NSN	Nelson	619,000[29]
7.	Hawkes Bay Airport	NPE	Napier	394,000[30]
8.	Tauranga Airport	TRG	Tauranga	376,312[31]
9.	Palmerston North Airport	PMR	Palmerston North	323,615[32]
10.	Hamilton Airport	HLZ	Hamilton	283,000[33]
11.	Invercargill Airport	IVC	Invercargill	277,081[34]
12.	New Plymouth Airport	NPL	New Plymouth	243,858[35]
13.	Blenheim Airport	BHE	Blenheim	209,127[36]
14.	Rotorua Airport	ROT	Rotorua	155,459[37]
15.	Gisborne Airport	GIS	Gisborne	134,236[38]

2021

Rank	Airport	IATA	Location	Passengers
1.	Auckland Airport	AKL	Auckland	6,443,639[39]
2.	Wellington Airport	WLG	Wellington	3,977,776[40]
3.	Christchurch Airport	CHC	Christchurch	3,705,373[41]
4.	Queenstown Airport	ZQN	Queenstown	931,659[42]
5.	Dunedin Airport	DUD	Dunedin	761,649[43]
6.	Nelson Airport	NSN	Nelson	725,000[44]
7.	Hawkes Bay Airport	NPE	Napier	461,000[45]
8.	Tauranga Airport	TRG	Tauranga	414,169[46]
9.	Palmerston North Airport	PMR	Palmerston North	401,000[47]
10.	Hamilton Airport	HLZ	Hamilton	358,000[48]
11.	Invercargill Airport	IVC	Invercargill	303,878[49]
12.	New Plymouth Airport	NPL	New Plymouth	277,000[50]
13.	Blenheim Airport	BHE	Blenheim	238,024[51]
14.	Rotorua Airport	ROT	Rotorua	179,500[52]
15.	Gisborne Airport	GIS	Gisborne	115,130[53]

2020

Rank	Airport	IATA	Location	Passengers
1.	Auckland Airport	AKL	Auckland	15,521,054[54]
2.	Christchurch Airport	CHC	Christchurch	5,194,982[55]
3.	Wellington Airport	WLG	Wellington	4,759,442[56]
4.	Queenstown Airport	ZQN	Queenstown	1,291,501[57]
5.	Dunedin Airport	DUD	Dunedin	793,556[58]
6.	Nelson Airport	NSN	Nelson	782,000[59]
7.	Hawkes Bay Airport	NPE	Napier	541,087[60]
8.	Palmerston North Airport	PMR	Palmerston North	498,000[61]
9.	Tauranga Airport	TRG	Tauranga	389,000[62]
10.	New Plymouth Airport	NPL	New Plymouth	324,214[63]
11.	Hamilton Airport	HLZ	Hamilton	304,000[64]
12.	Invercargill Airport	IVC	Invercargill	290,432[65]
13.	Blenheim Airport	BHE	Blenheim	246,325[66]
14.	Rotorua Airport	ROT	Rotorua	205.143[67]
15.	Gisborne Airport	GIS	Gisborne	196,500[68]

2019

Rank	Airport	IATA	Location	Passengers
1.	Auckland Airport	AKL	Auckland	21,625,370[69]
2.	Christchurch Airport	CHC	Christchurch	6,931,441[70]
3.	Wellington Airport	WLG	Wellington	6,441,935[71]
4.	Queenstown Airport	ZQN	Queenstown	2,321,347[72]
5.	Dunedin Airport	DUD	Dunedin	1,077,475[73]
6.	Nelson Airport	NSN	Nelson	1,076,686[74]
7.	Hawkes Bay Airport	NPE	Napier	750,357[75]
8.	Palmerston North Airport	PMR	Palmerston North	687,142[76]
9.	Tauranga Airport	TRG	Tauranga	475,000[77]
10.	New Plymouth Airport	NPL	New Plymouth	456,766[78]
11.	Hamilton Airport	HLZ	Hamilton	382,000[79]
12.	Invercargill Airport	IVC	Invercargill	321,000[80]
13.	Blenheim Airport	BHE	Blenheim	317,000[81]
14.	Rotorua Airport	ROT	Rotorua	265,443[82]
15.	Gisborne Airport	GIS	Gisborne	191,651[83]

2018

Rank	Airport	IATA	Location	Passengers
1.	Auckland Airport	AKL	Auckland	20,530,048[84]
2.	Christchurch Airport	CHC	Christchurch	6,868,948[85]
3.	Wellington Airport	WLG	Wellington	6,213,589[86]
4.	Queenstown Airport	ZQN	Queenstown	2,140,669[87]
5.	Nelson Airport	NSN	Nelson	1,061,000[88]
6.	Dunedin Airport	DUD	Dunedin	1,035,645[89]
7.	Hawkes Bay Airport	NPE	Napier	697,143[90]
8.	Palmerston North Airport	PMR	Palmerston North	675,867[91]
9.	New Plymouth Airport	NPL	New Plymouth	436,912[92]
10.	Tauranga Airport	TRG	Tauranga	405,000[93]
11.	Hamilton Airport	HLZ	Hamilton	353,000[94]
12.	Blenheim Airport	BHE	Blenheim	322,139[95]
13.	Invercargill Airport	IVC	Invercargill	307,308[96]
14.	Rotorua Airport	ROT	Rotorua	246,846[97]
15.	Gisborne Airport	GIS	Gisborne	170,993[98]

2017

Rank	Airport	IATA	Location	Passengers
1.	Auckland Airport	AKL	Auckland	19,020,573[99]
2.	Christchurch Airport	CHC	Christchurch	6,566,598[100]
3.	Wellington Airport	WLG	Wellington	6,049,194[101]
4.	Queenstown Airport	ZQN	Queenstown	1,892,443 [102]
5.	Nelson Airport	NSN	Nelson	1,000,373[103]
6.	Dunedin Airport	DUD	Dunedin	973,089[104]
7.	Hawkes Bay Airport	NPE	Napier	652,456 [105]
8.	Palmerston North Airport	PMR	Palmerston North	630,000[106]
9.	New Plymouth Airport	NPL	New Plymouth	435,000[107]
10.	Tauranga Airport	TRG	Tauranga	350,085[108]
11.	Hamilton Airport	HLZ	Hamilton	317,348[109]
12.	Blenheim Airport	BHE	Blenheim	302,884[110]
13.	Invercargill Airport	IVC	Invercargill	294,832[111]
14.	Rotorua Airport	ROT	Rotorua	241,303[112]
15.	Gisborne Airport	GIS	Gisborne	156,146[113]

2016

Rank	Airport	IATA	Location	Passengers
1.	Auckland Airport	AKL	Auckland	17,260,349[114]
2.	Christchurch Airport	CHC	Christchurch	6,305,717[115]
3.	Wellington Airport	WLG	Wellington	5,848,795[116]
4.	Queenstown Airport	ZQN	Queenstown	1,651,109 [117]
5.	Dunedin Airport	DUD	Dunedin	909,614[118]
6.	Nelson Airport	NSN	Nelson	865,023 [119]
7.	Hawkes Bay Airport	NPE	Napier	566,431[120]
8.	Palmerston North Airport	PMR	Palmerston North	515,727[121]
9.	New Plymouth Airport	NPL	New Plymouth	411,661[122]
10.	Hamilton Airport	HLZ	Hamilton	303,000[123]
11.	Tauranga Airport	TRG	Tauranga	298,000
12.	Invercargill Airport	IVC	Invercargill	289,836[124]
13.	Blenheim Airport	BHE	Blenheim	266,905[125]
14.	Rotorua Airport	ROT	Rotorua	222,983[126]
15.	Gisborne Airport	GIS	Gisborne	141,085[127]

2015

Rank	Airport	IATA	Location	Passengers
1.	Auckland Airport	AKL	Auckland	15,892,741[128]
2.	Christchurch Airport	CHC	Christchurch	5,915,785[129]
3.	Wellington Airport	WLG	Wellington	5,457,279[130]
4.	Queenstown Airport	ZQN	Queenstown	1,409,663[131]
5.	Dunedin Airport	DUD	Dunedin	861,982[132]
6.	Nelson Airport	NSN	Nelson	764,050[133]
7.	Hawkes Bay Airport	NPE	Napier	476,000[134]
8.	Palmerston North Airport	PMR	Palmerston North	466,557[135]
9.	New Plymouth Airport	NPL	New Plymouth	342,000[136]
10.	Hamilton Airport	HLZ	Hamilton	291,000[137]
11.	Tauranga Airport	TRG	Tauranga	285,992[138]
12.	Invercargill Airport	IVC	Invercargill	277,838[139]
13.	Blenheim Airport	BHE	Blenheim	250,000[140]
14.	Rotorua Airport	ROT	Rotorua	222,226[141]
15.	Gisborne Airport	GIS	Gisborne	155,897[142]

2014

Rank	Airport	IATA	Location	Passengers
1.	Auckland Airport	AKL	Auckland	15,098,346[143]
2.	Christchurch Airport	CHC	Christchurch	5,709,272[144]
3.	Wellington Airport	WLG	Wellington	5,437,286[145]
4.	Queenstown Airport	ZQN	Queenstown	1,248,878[146]
5.	Dunedin Airport	DUD	Dunedin	853,097[147]
6.	Nelson Airport	NSN	Nelson	744,416[133]
7.	Hawkes Bay Airport	NPE	Napier	456,672[148]
8.	Palmerston North Airport	PMR	Palmerston North	455,166[135]
9.	New Plymouth Airport	NPL	New Plymouth	343,572[149]
10.	Hamilton Airport	HLZ	Hamilton	294,396[150]
11.	Invercargill Airport	IVC	Invercargill	281,811[151]
12.	Tauranga Airport	TRG	Tauranga	273,857[152]
13.	Blenheim Airport	BHE	Blenheim	241,173[153]
14.	Rotorua Airport	ROT	Rotorua	215,276[154]
15.	Gisborne Airport	GIS	Gisborne	155,446[155]

2013

Rank	Airport	IATA	Location	Passengers
1.	Auckland Airport	AKL	Auckland	14,862,485[156]
2.	Christchurch Airport	CHC	Christchurch	5,576,821[157]
3.	Wellington Airport	WLG	Wellington	5,373,622[145]
4.	Queenstown Airport	ZQN	Queenstown	1,215,526[158]
5.	Dunedin Airport	DUD	Dunedin	857,951[147]
6.	Nelson Airport	NSN	Nelson	767,298[159]
7.	Hawkes Bay Airport	NPE	Napier	451,128[160]
8.	Palmerston North Airport	PMR	Palmerston North	445,147[161]
9.	New Plymouth Airport	NPL	New Plymouth	332,178[162]
10.	Hamilton International Airport	HLZ	Hamilton	306,000[163]
11.	Invercargill Airport	IVC	Invercargill	280,000[164]
12.	Tauranga Airport	TRG	Tauranga	261,265[152]
13.	Blenheim Airport	BHE	Blenheim	227,886[153]
14.	Rotorua Airport	ROT	Rotorua	217,545[154]
15.	Gisborne Airport	GIS	Gisborne	133,113[165]

2012

Rank	Airport	IATA	Location	Passengers
1.	Auckland Airport	AKL	Auckland	14,160,640[166]
2.	Christchurch Airport	CHC	Christchurch	5,485,023[167]
3.	Wellington Airport	WLG	Wellington	5,191,729[168]
4.	Queenstown Airport	ZQN	Queenstown	1,156,250[169]
5.	Dunedin Airport	DUD	Dunedin	853,650[170]
6.	Nelson Airport	NSN	Nelson	776,448[171]
7.	Palmerston North Airport	PMR	Palmerston North	449,318[172]
8.	Hawkes Bay Airport	NPE	Napier	440,704[173]
9.	Hamilton International Airport	HLZ	Hamilton	354,000[174]
10.	New Plymouth Airport	NPL	New Plymouth	321,337[175]
11.	Invercargill Airport	IVC	Invercargill	285,000[176]
12.	Tauranga Airport	TRG	Tauranga	248,519[152]
13.	Rotorua Airport	ROT	Rotorua	226,795[177]
14.	Blenheim Airport	BHE	Blenheim	221,707[153]
15.	Gisborne Airport	GIS	Gisborne	132,000[178]

2011

Rank	Airport	IATA	Location	Passengers
1.	Auckland Airport	AKL	Auckland	13,703,043[179]
2.	Christchurch Airport	CHC	Christchurch	5,592,529[180]
3.	Wellington Airport	WLG	Wellington	5,135,000[181]
4.	Queenstown Airport	ZQN	Queenstown	966,574[179]
5.	Dunedin Airport	DUD	Dunedin	776,508[170]
6.	Nelson Airport	NSN	Nelson	758,250[182]
7.	Palmerston North Airport	PMR	Palmerston North	449,090[183]
8.	Hawkes Bay Airport	NPE	Napier	431,903[184]
9.	Hamilton Airport	HLZ	Hamilton	362,000[185]
10.	New Plymouth Airport	NPL	New Plymouth	300,960[175]
11.	Invercargill Airport	IVC	Invercargill	281,633[186]
12.	Tauranga Airport	TRG	Tauranga	246,485[152]
13.	Rotorua Airport	ROT	Rotorua	227,578[187]
14.	Blenheim Airport	BHE	Blenheim	212,179[153]
15.	Gisborne Airport	GIS	Gisborne	134,600[188]

Total aircraft movements

This list includes aircraft operating under both instrument flight rules (IFR) and visual flight rules (VFR) and includes international movements. Consequently, the figures do not distinguish between commercial passenger flights and private aircraft movements. It is compiled from Airways New Zealand movement data.^[189]

2021-22

Rank	Airport	IATA	Location	Movements
1	Auckland Airport	AKL	Auckland	54,007
2	Christchurch Airport	CHC	Christchurch	42,653
3	Wellington Airport	WLG	Wellington	41,032
4	Tauranga Airport	TRG	Tauranga	29,807
5	Palmerston North Airport	PMR	Palmerston North	23,651
6	Nelson Airport	NSN	Nelson	21,641
7	Queenstown Airport	ZQN	Queenstown	17,830
8	Hamilton Airport	HLZ	Hamilton	16,281
9	Kapiti Coast Airport	PPQ	Paraparaumu	14,278
10	New Plymouth Airport	NPL	New Plymouth	12,248
11	RNZAF Base Ohakea	OHA	Ohakea	12,008
12	Woodbourne Airport	BHE	Blenheim	10,974
13	Gisborne Airport	GIS	Gisborne	10,082
14	Hawkes Bay Airport	NPE	Napier	10,073
15	Invercargill Airport	IVC	Invercargill	9,282

2018

Rank	Airport	IATA	Location	Movements
1.	Auckland Airport	AKL	Auckland	157,095
2.	Hamilton Airport	HLZ	Hamilton	135,404
3.	Christchurch International Airport	CHC	Christchurch	107,822
4.	Wellington International Airport	WLG	Wellington	101,161
5.	Tauranga Airport	TRG	Tauranga	70,450
6.	Palmerston North Airport	PMR	Palmerston North	55,960
7.	Nelson Airport	NSN	Nelson	45,677
8.	Queenstown Airport	ZQN	Queenstown	43,012
9.	Kapiti Coast Airport	PPQ	Kāpiti Coast	31,241
10.	RNZAF Base Ohakea	OHA	Ohakea	28,807
11.	New Plymouth Airport	NPL	New Plymouth	24,910
12.	Hawkes Bay Airport	NPE	Napier	24,386
13.	Invercargill Airport	IVC	Invercargill	23,058
14.	Dunedin Airport	DUD	Dunedin	22,758
15.	Rotorua Airport	ROT	Rotorua	22,532

2012

Rank	Airport	IATA	Location	Movements
1.	Auckland International Airport	AKL	Auckland	155,903
2.	Hamilton International Airport	HLZ	Hamilton	128,744
3.	Christchurch International Airport	CHC	Christchurch	108,757
4.	Wellington International Airport	WLG	Wellington	102,454
5.	Tauranga Airport	TRG	Tauranga	72,652
6.	Palmerston North International Airport	PMR	Palmerston North	67,395
7.	Nelson Airport	NSN	Nelson	48,073
8.	Queenstown International Airport	ZQN	Queenstown	43,776
9.	Kapiti Coast Airport	PPQ	Kāpiti Coast	33,702
10.	RNZAF Base Ohakea	OHA	Ohakea	30,959
11.	New Plymouth Airport	NPL	New Plymouth	30,773
12.	Invercargill Airport	IVC	Invercargill	28,491
13.	Dunedin International Airport	DUD	Dunedin	25,328
14.	Hawkes Bay Airport	NPE	Napier	25,242
15.	Rotorua International Airport	ROT	Rotorua	22,092

2011

Rank	Airport	IATA	Location	Movements
1.	Auckland International Airport	AKL	Auckland	156,484
2.	Christchurch International Airport	CHC	Christchurch	121,112
3.	Hamilton International Airport	HLZ	Hamilton	110,419
4.	Wellington International Airport	WLG	Wellington	105,585
5.	Tauranga Airport	TRG	Tauranga	74,400
6.	Palmerston North International Airport	PMR	Palmerston North	65,708
7.	RNZAF Base Ohakea	OHA	Ohakea	55,726
8.	Nelson Airport	NSN	Nelson	50,094
9.	Queenstown International Airport	ZQN	Queenstown	41,769
10.	New Plymouth Airport	NPL	New Plymouth	32,791
11.	Invercargill Airport	IVC	Invercargill	30,840
12.	Dunedin International Airport	DUD	Dunedin	29,229
13.	Hawkes Bay Airport	NPE	Napier	27,322
14.	Rotorua International Airport	ROT	Rotorua	22,682