About Hokitika Airport

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Hokitika Aerodrome (IATA: HKK, ICAO: NZHK) is a small, uncontrolled aerodrome located 1 NM (2 km) north east of Hokitika in the suburb of Seaview on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand.

It is also the closest domestic airport with scheduled flights to the town of Greymouth 40 km further north, the largest settlement on the coast. Hokitika originally had an aerodrome on the south side of town just over the Hokitika River.

The airport handles aircraft up to ATR 72-500 size that are operated by the national airline, Air New Zealand. The airport has a single terminal and 2 tarmac gates.

The airport has a number of car rental firms represented, and a small snack bar. The aerodrome is operated by Hokitika Airport Ltd. The airport company is owned by the Westland District Council.

Air Travel (NZ) Ltd was the first airline in New Zealand to fly scheduled air services. Founded by Bert Mercer in 1934, its first scheduled flight took place on 18 December 1934, from Hokitika to Haast in South Westland. During the Second World War they also flew north from Hokitika to Greymouth, Westport and Nelson.

The grass surfaces and susceptibility to flooding of Hokitika’s Southside airfield were always problematic. On 9 August 1948 the Southside airfield at Hokitika was closed. Plans were well underway for a new airport at Hokitika. The new Seaview airport opened on 17 December 1951.

The opening also marked the extension of the Lodestar service to Westport and onto Wellington southward to Hokitika and the introduction of the larger Lodestar marked the end of NAC services to Greymouth.

From this point on a road link between Greymouth town centre and Hokitika Airport was established to connect with NAC’s scheduled flights. Hokitika received its first true airliner service on 2 March 1953 when NAC introduced its 24-seater Douglas DC-3 service from Paraparaumu (Wellington being closed for the construction of the new airport), Nelson and Westport.

NAC inaugurated its Christchurch-Hokitika Friendship service on 20 December 1968. Fokker Friendship ZK-BXI flew the first flight. By 1974 16,945 people were flying through Hokitika each year and from 14 September 1974 NAC introduced Saturday flights from Hokitika to Christchurch. This was the first time Hokitika had a daily air service.

Currently, Air New Zealand operates scheduled commercial flights to / from Christchurch at Hokitika Airport. The busiest day is Friday with five flights to Christchurch.

The main runway has a landing distance of 1,314 metres, but for take off is considered to have a distance of 1,374m. This will be extended with un-paved gravel in 2013 by 240m to allow limited trans-tasman charter flights. New lighting will be installed.

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