Often celebrated as one of the most beautifully located airports in the world, Queenstown International Airport welcomes visitors to New Zealand in style, surrounded by the stunning mountainous scenery on the southern island of the country. It is only eight kilometres from the centre of the city and is a busy transport hub, serving almost 1.5 million passengers every year, making it the fourth most popular airport in New Zealand. It has many travel links to Australia and offers domestic flights to airports like Wellington and Christchurch, in addition to services to Asia and West Coast America.
Queenstown Airport has one terminal building with nine different gates, hosting such major airlines as Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand. In the waiting areas, there are various facilities including currency exchange, internet stations, baggage storage and parenting rooms, and visitors can also enjoy the pieces of local artwork, or simply relax and enjoy the beautiful window views. Other services include restaurants, bars, cafes and other dining opportunities, in addition to duty-free shopping in retail, jewellery, book, souvenirs and beauty shops. As it is the busiest helicopter port in New Zealand, visitors can also use Queenstown Airport for entertainment purposes by taking a tourist “flightseeing” trip, which is a popular way to witness natural landmarks like Aoraki Mount Cook.
Located only a 10-minute drive from the centre of Queenstown, in the suburban area of Frankton, visitors can easily reach the nearby city by public transport, with regular buses leaving from the airport. There is also a shuttle service travelling to the centre of town, in addition to taxi and car rental services, and drivers to the airport have a choice of many parking facilities.
Opened in 1935, but not used commercially until the 1950s, Queenstown Airport began as a small transport hub offering domestic scenic flights and “flightseeing tours” to nearby natural wonders like Milford Sound. The first flight between Australia and Queenstown took place in 1995, since becoming a regular occurrence as the airport has developed and expanded. The airport has won various awards for its beautiful location, including “The World’s Most Scenic Approach” by PrivateFly’s 2015 survey.