Kaikoura Airport
Kaikoura Airport | |||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | Kaikoura District Council | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Kaikoura, South Island, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 19 ft / 6 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 42°25′30″S 173°36′08″E / 42.42500°S 173.60222°E | ||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||
.svg)  Kaikoura Location on map of New Zealand | |||||||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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Source: NZAIP Volume 4 AD[1] | |||||||||||||||
Kaikoura Airport (IATA: KBZ[2], ICAO: NZKI[3]) is an uncontrolled aerodrome located 4 nautical miles (7.4 km; 4.6 mi) southwest of Kaikoura at Peketa on the South Island of New Zealand.[1]
History
The Airport was opened in 1964. It was constructed by council staff at a cost of 4000 pounds. It had an original grass runway of 575 metres. In 1983 the Kaikoura aero club was formed. In late 1995 the runway was sealed for the increased traffic and to protect it from damage caused by rabbits.[4]
In 1990-91 Air Charter Ltd operated scheduled flights to Christchurch using Cessna 210 aircraft.[5] On 19 July 2004 Sounds Air started twice daily services from Wellington using its Airvan aircraft. But these also ended as of May 2009 as they were not a success.[6]
On 21 November 2016, Sounds Air began a temporary daily Monday to Friday air service from Kaikoura to Blenheim and Christchurch, after the main transport links to the town were severed by the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake. The service was planned to run for at least three weeks, using the company's Cessna Caravan.[7] It was extended to the end of December 2017.
The Kaikoura Aero Club, a community run non-profit organisation, continues to offer whale watch flights, scenic flights and flight instruction from the Kaikoura Airfield, as it has since 1983. The club self financed their new hangar, constructed over the winter months in 2018. Kaikoura Aero Club also offers charter flights on demand, using their four and six seater aircraft.
Wings Over Whales
A scenic flight operator based at Kaikoura offers 30-minute flights for whale watching. They also operate charter flights from Kaikoura to Christchurch, Wellington and to Hanmer Springs.[8] Their fleet consists of two aircraft:[9]
- Gippsland Aeronautics GA8 Airvan 7-seater ZK-KBZ
- Cessna 172N 3-seater ZK-EKE
Air Kaikoura is another scenic operator based at the aerodrome since 1983.[10]
Operational information
- Airfield elevation: 19 feet (6 m) AMSL
- Runway 05/23: 700 by 10 metres (2,297 ft × 33 ft) bitumen PCN 18
- Runway 05/23: 615 by 25 metres (2,018 ft × 82 ft) grass ESWL 1090
The aerodrome is operated by Kaikoura District Council and is available for general use without the permission of the operator.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "NZKI Kaikoura" (PDF). AIP New Zealand. Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand. 2 September 2004.
- ^ Accident history for KBZ at Aviation Safety Network
- ^ Airport information for NZKI at Great Circle Mapper.
- ^ "3rd Level New Zealand: Kaikoura Airfield - A History". 3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz. 2 November 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
- ^ "3rd Level New Zealand: Air Charter (Christchurch)". 3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz. 14 September 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
- ^ "3rd Level New Zealand: Sounds Air - The Fast Scenic Way to Cross Cook Strait". 3rdlevelnz.blogspot.co.nz. 31 August 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
- ^ Lowe, Steve (17 November 2016). "Sounds Air comes to Kaikoura's Rescue". 3rd Level New Zealand. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
- ^ http://www.whales.co.nz/privatecharter.html
- ^ "Wings Over Whales | Whale Watching Kaikoura, New Zealand". Whales.co.nz. Archived from the original on 12 September 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ [1] Archived 9 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine
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