The Chatham Islands, a small archipelago 430 miles east of New Zealand’s South Island and administered as part of New Zealand, has welcomed its first jet aircraft to its Tuuta Airport (CHT) this week. On October 1, Texel Air Australasia, a cargo carrier based in Auckland, operated its

Boeing 737-800BCF
to the Chathams, marking a new era for the community of around 730 inhabitants.

A new runway extension

Understanding the significance of Texel Air’s arrival is underpinned by the New Zealand Government’s proposal in 2012 to help extend and fund a NZ $42 ($25) million dollar runway extension at Chatham Islands Tuuta Airport. Previously, the airport could only handle smaller aircraft, such as Air Chatham’s ATR72
, which currently serves the islands today with flights to Auckland
, Wellington
, and Christchurch Airport
multiple times a week.

Air_Chathams_ATR72-500_ZK-MCO (1)

The government’s initial proposal was to extend the runway to 5,250 feet, with extensive resurfacing, a new passenger and administration terminal, and a large hangar.

New economic opportunities

With the runway now extended and widened and extensive strengthening work complete,

Texel Air
was tasked with a cargo mission to the isolated archipelago, marking a new era of aviation for the community. It is now expected that the airport’s broader horizons will ensure stronger connectivity to mainland New Zealand and provide resilience in both economic and development opportunities.

Airport chairman Allan MacGibbon celebrated the new arrival, as reported by the New Zealand Herald:

‘‘The inaugural mission (on Tuesday) to deliver freight, confirmed the new runway’s capability to support code 4C aircraft and open the door to future flights.”

“I’ve spoken with the pilot and he was more than happy. The airport’s well set up, we’ve got good lighting, we’ve got good systems … so yeah, it worked.”

In response to COVID-19, the New Zealand Government confirmed funding for the airport’s improvement as part of its ‘shovel ready’ initiative.

Chatham Islands Tuuta Airport (CHT)

Chatham Islands Tuuta Airport is located 10.5 miles from Waitangi, the largest settlement in the archipelago of 11 islands. The airport is named in honor of Inia William Tuuta, a Chatham Islander who gifted the land for the airport in 1982 to replace a grass airstrip that could only handle slow-flying Air Bristol freighter aircraft.

Given the remoteness and isolation of the Chatham Islands, the runway’s upgrade came with its expected challenges. Not only were crew deployed from the mainland to complete the work, but the equipment required was also shipped out from the mainland, and if equipment broke down or required maintenance, additional support or replacement parts could take time to arrive.

air-chathams-convair-580-retirement

What’s next for the little airport? Air Chathams’ Chief Operating Officer Duane Emeny reiterated that the new runway has future-proofed the island, and the next step is doubling the footprint of the existing terminal. Given that all the required materials are now on the island, work will start shortly, with completion expected by March 2025. This will also see additional security facilities introduced at the airport.

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