Auckland Airport Expansion

The Auckland Airport expansion and redevelopment will deliver a new second runway as well as combine the currently separated international and domestic terminals.

The infrastructure programme is based on Auckland Airport’s 30-year masterplan, which was released in 2014. According to the masterplan, the expansion will be undertaken in four key phases.

In 2017 Auckland Airport announced NZ$1.8 billion (A$1.68 billion) will be invested over 2018-2022 on projects across various phases to accommodate growing passenger and flight demand.

Key projects forming the phase 1 infrastructure programme between 2018-2022 include:

- construction of a new domestic jet terminal connected to the existing international terminal (NZ$401.5 million);
- expansion of the international check-in, public dwelling, and border processing facilities (NZ$292.7 million);
- taxiway, stands and aprons (NZ$376.3 million);
- pier building and connections (NZ$153.1 million); and
- roads and transport facilities (NZ$131.3 million).

Phase 2 of the plan up to 2030 includes:

- a new 2.15 kilometre long northern runway operational by 2028 (NZ$202 million); and
- the extension of the terminal forecourt, which is expected to be completed by 2030.

A consortium comprising Mott MacDonald, Holmes Consulting, Architectus and Grimshaw was selected in May 2017 to design and develop a combined domestic and international terminal, which covers building works over the next 10 years. This comprises the new integrated domestic terminal, border processing expansion and transport and car parking facilities.

In December 2019 works began on laying a new fuel pipeline below the airfield. This will support airfield works and any future development works undertaken to support anticipated growth.

In May 2019, CPB Contractors was selected as the preferred contractor to convert more than 250,000sqm of land into new airfield space and to deliver an additional taxiway, extension of an existing taxiway and development of six remote stands for parking and servicing of aircraft. Construction will begin in mid-2019 with expected completion by late-2021.

This project is one of eight anchor projects that are the foundation to the overall Auckland Airport Expansion project.

The eight anchor projects are the merging of phase 1 and 2 of the expansion programme from 2018 to 2030.

The eight anchor projects are:

• the taxiway and remote stand airfield development
• the second runway
• a new cargo facility
• a new international arrivals’ area
• rejuvenation of the current domestic terminal
• the new domestic jet terminal
• reconfiguration of the international forecourt drop-off and pick up facility, and
• further development of the road network north of the terminals.

Phase 3 of the plan includes the expansion of the international and domestic terminal piers. This is expected to be completed by 2044. Auckland Airport believes the new northern runway will need to be extended by approximately 890 metres to improve its efficiency and meet the requirements of larger aircraft.

Phase 4 will be undertaken beyond 2044, for a possible runway extension to its full length as well as for further road network development outside the terminal.

In February 2020, works began to redevelop and widen Laurence Stevens Drive. The project is being undertaken by Fulton Hogan and is expected to be complete by the end of 2020.

In March 2020, Auckland Airport announced that it has decided to suspend selected capital expenditure projects with a completed value of more than NZ$2 billion until there is more certainty about the impact on the aviation sector following the spread of COVID-19. While some smaller projects are still under review, the suspended projects include the second runway, Domestic Jet Hub, a multi-storey car park and Park-and-Ride South.

The Auckland Airport - Cargo Facility project will deliver a new cargo facility as part of the overall expansion plan.

This project is one of eight anchor projects that are the foundation to the overall Auckland Airport Expansion project.

The eight anchor projects are:

• the taxiway and remote stand airfield development
• the second runway
• a new cargo facility
• a new international arrivals’ area
• rejuvenation of the current domestic terminal
• the new domestic jet terminal
• reconfiguration of the international forecourt drop-off and pick up facility, and
• further development of the road network north of the terminals.

The Auckland Airport - Domestic Jet Hub project will deliver a new domestic jet terminal connected to the existing international terminal. The new NZ$1 billion plus Hub will provide direct access between domestic and international travel and reduced connection times.

An interim project alliance agreement has been reached between Auckland Airport, Hawkins, Fletcher Construction, and Mott Macdonald, with the agreement to be finalised once financial issues are agreed upon by the alliance parties. The project alliance with design consultants and contractors represents a shift away from traditional procurement practices to a vertical construction alliance, creates a team with joint accountability and aligned incentives, and provides capacity in a constrained construction market.

Construction of the project is expected to begin in late 2020, with the first stage due for completion in 2023.

The Auckland Airport Expansion - International Taxiway and Remote Stands project will deliver an additional taxiway, extension of an existing taxiway and development of six remote stands for the parking and servicing of aircraft.

Specifically, the project will include 900,000 cubic metres of earthworths, laying 130,000 cubic metres of aggregate basecourse, construction of a 3.2 kilometre stormwater drainage system and runoff and treatment lagoon, and a 2.2 kilometre in-ground jet fuel network.

More than 250,000 square metres of land will be converted into new airfield space at the western end of the airport. The taxiways are designed to improve aircraft movement around the airfield and eventually provide a ‘link between the current runway and the future second runway to be delivered under the broader expansion.

In May 2019, CPB Contractors was selected as the preferred contractor. Contractual close was reached in August 2019.

Construction will began in mid-2019, with expected completion by October 2021.

This project is one of eight anchor projects that are the foundation to the overall Auckland Airport Expansion project.

The eight anchor projects are:

• the taxiway and remote stand airfield development
• the second runway
• a new cargo facility
• a new international arrivals’ area
• rejuvenation of the current domestic terminal
• the new domestic jet terminal
• reconfiguration of the international forecourt drop-off and pick up facility, and
• further development of the road network north of the terminals.

The Auckland Airport - New International Arrivals Area project will deliver a new international check-in, public dwelling, and border processing facilities.

The contract for construction of the international arrivals has been awarded to Hawkins. Enabling works commenced in September 2019, with vertical construction commencing mid-2020.

The Auckland Airport - Northern Network Roads Upgrades project will begin transforming the main entrance into Auckland Airport, as well as providing critical support for new public transport connections.

During this project, George Bolt Memorial Drive, the main road into the airport from the north, will be widened to create high occupancy vehicle lanes, with shared pedestrian and cycle paths.

Simultaneously, roads will be added to the airport network. A new one-way loop road will be built, allowing traffic to flow efficiently through a pick-up/drop-off zone at the international terminal before connecting back into George Bolt Memorial Drive. The new Altitude Drive will create additional roading capacity, allowing terminal bound traffic greater journey time reliability.

This project is one of a suite of transport and road upgrade projects allowing the airport to grow.

In June 2019, Downer was selected as the preferred contractor. Contractual close was reached in August 2019.

These include the widening of certain roads, upgrades to new intersections, establishing Altitude Drive which provides for northbound and southbound travel off the main George Bolt Memorial Drive and Tom Pearce Drive arterial roads, and a new exit road for the integrated terminal.

In late July 2019, Auckland Airport announced Downer had been appointed as the contractor for the project. Earthworks are expected to begin in August with construction to be completed by mid-2021.

The project is one of eight anchor projects that are the foundation to the overall Auckland Airport Expansion project.

The eight anchor projects are:

• a taxiway and remote stand airfield development
• a second runway
• a new cargo facility
• a new international arrivals’ area
• rejuvenation of the current domestic terminal
• a new domestic jet terminal
• reconfiguration of the international forecourt drop-off and pick up facility, and
• further development of the road network north of the terminals.

The Auckland Airport Expansion - Second Runway will deliver an additional runway located to the north of the new combined domestic and international terminal and will run parallel with the existing southern runway.

Auckland Airport lodged two Notice of Requirement (NoR) applications with Auckland Council in February 2018 to revise the dimensions of the new runway. The NoR applications seek to extend the runway length from 2150 metres to 2983 metres and move it 72 metres north of the originally approved location. The new runway will primarily support aircraft such as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 777 and 787.

In December 2018, Auckland Council recommended that the NoRs be confirmed subject to conditions with the Airport deciding to accept the majority of what was recommended.

The second runway is expected to be operational around 2028.

This project is one of eight anchor projects that are the foundation to the overall Auckland Airport Expansion project.

The eight anchor projects are:

• the taxiway and remote stand airfield development
• the second runway
• a new cargo facility
• a new international arrivals’ area
• rejuvenation of the current domestic terminal
• the new domestic jet terminal
• reconfiguration of the international forecourt drop-off and pick up facility, and
• further development of the road network north of the terminals.