Our History

19 Jan 2026

QUEENSTOWN AIRPORT TIMELINE

1930s

1931: A large crowd gathered to welcome the first aeroplane to the district. The Simmonds-Spartan biplane, owned by New Zealand Airways Ltd, was piloted by Captain Trevor 'Tiny' White and landed at the disused Frankton racecourse.

1935: Queenstown Airport was first granted its licence to operate by the Civil Aviation Authority on 14 August 1935. 

1937: The Frankton Aerodrome Control Board, made up of representatives from the Lake County, the Borough of Queenstown and the Borough of Arrowtown, met for the first time in December 1937.  (The board was disbanded in 1958.) Fulton Hogan won the contract to form a permanent landing ground. 

1938: In anticipation of new airfield use, Queenstown-Mount Cook Airways Ltd was formed in October 1938 by the Wigley family and secured a licence to operate from the newly prepared aerodrome at Frankton. 

1939: To 31 March 1939, Queenstown-Mount Cook Airways had carried a total of 719 passengers on 219 flights.

1940s

1940: By early 1940, due to the impacts of World War II, all civilian flying ceased. The airport gates mark the Centennial of New Zealand (1840-1940).

1946: Post-war, in December 1946, Bill Hewett began charter operations from Queenstown, calling his company Southern Scenic Air Trips. Hewett was soon joined by other former servicemen, Tex Smith, Fred ‘Popeye’ Lucas and Barry Topliss, and the business was renamed Southern Scenic Air Services. Southern Scenic was based at Frankton, operating out of the old Frankton Jockey Club buildings, and developed a range of operations. 

1950s

1950s: By the 1950s, commercial flights in and out of the airport were commonplace, with the majority going between Queenstown and Milford Sound. Southern Scenic introduced the first scheduled air service from Queenstown to Dunedin on 17 July 1950 and prepared the first airfield at Milford Sound, operational from May 1952.  Pioneering regional airlines Southern Scenic Air Services, Ritchie Air Services, West Coast Airways, Tourist Air Travel and Mount Cook Airlines introduced scheduled services, scenic flying, floatplane flying, supply drops, agricultural work, and tourist work. From the mid-1950s to the early 1970s, Dominies were the most commonly used aircraft for scenic, scheduled and charter work at Queenstown Airport.

1960s

1964: Mount Cook Airlines secured a licence to fly its DC-3 aircraft into Queenstown, and the Frankton Aerodrome was extended to accommodate these larger aircraft. This included the opening of the first small terminal building and lengthening the grass runway to 1500m.  The first flight was on 3 February 1964 and carried about 30 passengers and 2 crew from Christchurch. 

1968: The introduction of Mount Cook’s new turbo-prop Hawker Siddeley 748 aircraft led to an upgrade of the main runway, including sealing and extension to 1,341m. The area around the terminal was also sealed.

1968: On 14 October 1968, the Hawker Siddeley started operating between Christchurch and Queenstown, carrying 42 to 58 passengers.  In 1968, Queenstown Airport bought a specialised fire appliance appropriate for use on an aerodrome.

1969: Public demand for services to and from Queenstown was increasing and work began on plans to expand the airport terminal and amenities available.

1970s

1973: Construction of a new terminal building with cafeteria, baggage claim area, and booking area, and a car park began in January.

1974: Queenstown Airport’s updated terminal was completed and ready to welcome in a new era of travel, tourism and connectivity for the local community.

1980s

1980s: In the mid-1980s, Newmans Air began a short-lived service flying Dash 8 turbo-prop aircraft. 

1989: Ansett New Zealand started the first jet aircraft flights (BAe 146 Whisper Jet) into Queenstown Airport.

1990s

1992: Air New Zealand introduced Boeing 737-200 flights into Queenstown on 1 October 1992. The aircraft were fitted with hush kits to reduce the effect of aircraft noise on nearby residents.

1994: Air New Zealand launched its first direct service between Auckland and Queenstown on 17 October 1994, operating daily flights with a Boeing 737-200.

1995: Queenstown Airport welcomed its first international flight 1 July 1995 (Air New Zealand from Sydney), connecting Australians to New Zealand’s home of alpine adventure in time for the ski season.

1995: Queenstown proved to be a popular destination, leading to the extension and overlay of the runway between 1995 and 1998 to enable jet services directly into Queenstown from around New Zealand and Australia.

1996: A new control tower was built in 1996 and planning for a new terminal building began.

2000s

2001: The overlay of the 1,911m runway was completed and the new $6 million terminal building opened. 

2003: Planning to treble the size of the terminal building under way.

2005: Qantas began direct services to Queenstown from Australia in July 2005.

2007: This was a year of activity. The terminal building was expanded as part of a $33 million upgrade. In the same year, the aircraft apron hard stand area was expanded to 10,000m, a new fire appliance was purchased, and a new fire station building constructed. The car park was expanded and border and security controls upgraded. Navigation systems were also upgraded to minimise flight disruption.

2009: We welcomed Jetstar and Pacific Blue (now Virgin Australia) to Queenstown in June and September respectively.

2010s

2010: The airport’s runway was resealed in a $5 million project, a jet blast fence was installed at the end of Runway 05, and a new baggage makeup unit opened. Auckland International Airport Limited (AIAL) acquired a 24.99% shareholding in Queenstown Airport Corporation Limited. The Queenstown Lakes District Council remains the majority shareholder at 75.01%.

2011: A new crosswind runway and onsite fuel farm opened. Construction of the $10 million runway end safety area (RESA) was completed. About 850,000 cubic metres of material was brought in for the RESA – about 450,000 cubic metres of that from Remarkables Park, with the remainder coming from the Shotover Delta and airport land.

2012: Airways (Air Traffic Control) introduced Performance Based Navigation (PBN) and Required Navigation Performance-Authorisation Required (RNP AR) technology. This has dramatically improved the reliability of jet services and increased airspace capacity and operational efficiency at the airport.

2014: New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) approved the airport’s evening flights safety case, allowing airlines to apply for individual certification to fly in and out of Queenstown after dark. From 2015 to 2017, $20 million was spent upgrading the airfield as part of the infrastructure requirements to host after-dark flights. The improvements included widening, resurfacing and grooving the runway, and installing comprehensive lighting.

2015: On 1 July 2015, the $17 million international terminal expansion opened, 20 years to the day after the first international flight from Sydney was welcomed. 

2016: It was a historic moment for Queenstown Airport and a major milestone for New Zealand aviation and tourism when the first domestic after-dark flight (from Auckland), operated by Air New Zealand, and the first international after-dark flight (from Melbourne), operated by Jetstar, touched down on 23 May and 24 June respectively.       

2017: Qantas and Virgin Australia followed suit in 2017, gaining regulatory certification for after-dark flights. Their services helped provide more flexibility and choice for locals and visitors travelling trans-Tasman during the ski season. 

2018: A $7 million project to reseal the aircraft parking area (apron overlay) was completed. The resealing of this area occurs once every 10 years on average but this time sustainability was incorporated into all aspects of the project. A new-generation lower-carbon asphalt, developed by Downer NZ and some key partners and primarily made from 1.5 million recycled glass beer bottles and 330,000 waste printer ink toners, was used for the project. The new commercial vehicle waiting area between Terminal Car Park A and the airport’s internal roundabout was also sealed at the same time using the new-generation asphalt. 

2018: A two-year $24 million terminal upgrade programme of works began to improve resilience and increase capacity within the current terminal footprint to provide for some growth, improve passenger flow and enhance the customer experience.

2020s

2020: Planned runway maintenance works were completed at Queenstown Airport during April and May when the country was in ‘lockdown’ in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Because of limited aircraft movements, the maintenance works were completed under budget and in shorter timeframes than would have been possible under normal operating conditions.

2023: A Master Plan to guide the development of infrastructure at Queenstown Airport was finalised in December 2023.

2025: The installation of an engineered materials arresting system was completed in March 2025. Queenstown Airport is the first in Australasia to use this innovative technology, which significantly enhances airfield safety. 

2026: Construction of a Code C heavy taxiway started, with the first sod turned on 14 July.