World City Guide

Getting There By Air

Auckland International Airport (AKL)
Tel: (09) 275 0789 or 256 8855. Fax: (09) 275 5835.
E-mail: admin@akl-airport.co.nz
Website: www.auckland-airport.co.nz

Auckland International Airport is located 21km (14 miles) south of central Auckland, in the suburb of Mangere. It is one of the two main international gateways to New Zealand – the other being Christchurch, on the South Island. The airport handles, on average, more than 23,000 passengers per day, travelling on 81 international and 324 domestic flights. There are direct flights to several countries including Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and the USA, as well as a few other countries in Europe. There is one international terminal and are two domestic terminals. The terminals are linked by a free shuttle bus service. There is also a marked footpath between the terminals.

Major airlines: Air New Zealand (tel: (09) 336 2400; website: www.airnewzealand.com) is the national airline. Other major carriers include Aerolinas Argentinas, Air Canada, British Airways, Canadian Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Garuda, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways and United Airlines.

Approximate flight times to Auckland: From London 24-26 hours; from New York is 21 hours; from Los Angeles is 16 hours; from Toronto is 21 hours and from Sydney is 3 hours.

Airport facilities: Facilities include a bank, tourist information centre, bureau de change, snack bars, newsagent, duty-free shops, restaurant, courtesy telephones, Internet access terminals, left-luggage and car hire from Avis, Budget and Hertz, as well as a variety of domestic operators.

Business facilities: There is no business centre as such, although the Airport Camera Centre (tel: (09) 256 8660; fax: (09) 256 8660/4; website: www.airport-camera.com), located on the first floor of the International Terminal and open daily 0700-1900, has photocopying, courier and faxing services as well as a post shop. Within the airport, there are also Internet kiosks that cost NZ$2 for 10 minutes. Two conference rooms, the Marlborough and Blenheim Conference Rooms (tel: (09) 256 8782), situated on the top floor, are available to hire, with full catering facilities available. Space for private meetings can be booked in one of three areas in the Air New Zealand Domestic Terminal – The Club House, The Cabin or The Coachrooms (tel: (09) 256 8936). All international airlines provide VIP lounges.

Arrival/departure tax: A departure tax of NZ$25 on all international flights is payable at the airport, although it is sometimes included in the ticket price.

Transport to the city: There is an Airbus service (tel: (09) 275 9396; fax: (09) 375 4732; e-mail: stopthebus@airbus.co.nz; website: www.airbus.co.nz) that connects all three terminals with the Downtown Airline Terminal, every 20-30 minutes, daily 0620-2200 (journey time – approximately 60 minutes). Tickets cost NZ$15 one-way and are available from the driver. Private shuttle services into the city are also available at the airport, meeting all flights and costing NZ$20, with a possible reduction for travellers in possession of a YHA or VIP card. A taxi to the city centre will cost approximately NZ$45.