Tauranga Airport

Tauranga Airport
Aerial view of Tauranga Airport (2015)
IATA: TRG ICAO: NZTG
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Tauranga Airport Authority
Location	Tauranga
Elevation AMSL	13 ft / 4 m
Coordinates	037°40′24″S 176°11′50″E / 37.67333°S 176.19722°E / -37.67333; 176.19722Coordinates: 037°40′24″S 176°11′50″E / 37.67333°S 176.19722°E / -37.67333; 176.19722
Website	http://taurangacityairport.co.nz/
Map
TRG Location of airport in North Island
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 07/25 5,988 1,825 Asphalt 07/25 3,280 1,000 Grass 04/22 2,100 640 Grass 16/34 2,296 700 Grass
Statistics (2014)
Total Passengers 273,857 Aircraft Movements 58,448

Tauranga Airport (IATA: TRG, ICAO: NZTG) is an airport serving the city of Tauranga, New Zealand. It is located adjacent to Tauranga Harbour in the suburb of Mount Maunganui, approximately 3km northeast of Tauranga CBD. The terminal is located to the north of the runway, on Jean Batten Drive, and consists of a two-storey building with four tarmac gates. Air New Zealand serves the airport through its subsidiaries Mount Cook Airline and Air Nelson, with flights to Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. A further two regional airlines also operate to the airport, as well as scenic and charter flights, skydiving operations and general aviation.

In 1935, the Tauranga Aero Club leased land adjacent to Tauranga Harbour in Mount Maunganui to establish an aerodrome. Up until then, the only airfield serving the town was a runway on the eastern side of the Waikareao Estuary which was only usable during low tide, and it was deemed that a permanent facility was going to be necessary in order to cater for demand in the growing region. The airport opened in 1939 to great celebrations and, later the same year, it was taken over by the Royal New Zealand Air Force, due to the onset of World War Two. During the period of military use, the runways were extended and a hangar was constructed, and the airport was predominantly used as a training station for pilots. The airport was returned to the Tauranga Aero Club in 1945, and in 1946 the club began passenger flights from Tauranga to Motiti Island, and later added flights to Matakana Island. In 1947, the New Zealand National Airways Corporation, commonly known as NAC, began passenger flights to the airport.