Wellington International Airport

From Freepedia

Wellington International Airport (IATA: WLG, ICAO: NZWN) serves New Zealand's capital city of Wellington. It is located on the Rongotai isthmus.

It is a major domestic hub, as well as providing air links to the major cities of Australia.

History

The current site opened in 1959, after previously being based further north at Paraparaumu. A major new terminal was completed in 1999, and as of late 2004, plans are under way to lengthen the 1936m runway in accordance with ICAO safety regulations. However, a full-length extension — to accommodate larger aircraft such as the Boeing 747 — would require highly expensive land reclamation, and doubts exist over the viability of such a undertaking.

More recently, however, there are plans to upgrade the international terminal between 2005 and 2007, in anticipation for the arrival of the Boeing 787 that can fly long-haul yet still be able to take off from a short runway.

Since 1998, the airport has been two-thirds privately owned by Infratil, with the remaining third owned by the Wellington City Council.

In late 2003, WIA was notable for installing a large statue of Gollum on the terminus, as part of a publicity stunt to promote the world premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.