Airport guide
Christchurch International AirportIATA code CHC
Christchurch International Airport (CHC/NZCH) is the primary air passenger gateway serving Christchurch, New Zealand in Oceania. Originfacts tracks 1 direct destination departing from CHC.
- Serves
- Christchurch, New Zealand
- Codes
- CHC · NZCH
- IATA · ICAO
- Time zone
- Pacific/Auckland
- Region
- Oceania
Christchurch International Airport (CHC/NZCH) is the primary air passenger gateway serving Christchurch, New Zealand in Oceania. Operating on Pacific/Auckland local time at coordinates -43.490°, 172.540°, the airfield functions as an active commercial transit hub for scheduled regional and international flights. Originfacts tracks 1 destination departing from CHC, with primary carrier operations including Emirates, Jetstar, Air New Zealand and Qantas, connecting key routes to Sydney. Passengers traveling through Christchurch International Airport are advised to verify terminal assignments, compare ground transport links into Christchurch, and plan check-in times with their operating airline before departure.
Christchurch International Airport details
- IATA code
- CHC
- ICAO code
- NZCH
- City
- Christchurch
- Country
- New Zealand
- Region
- Oceania
- Time zone
- Pacific/Auckland
- Coordinates
- -43.489°, 172.532°
- From OurAirports
Codes, region and time zone come from the Originfacts airport record (last updated 12 Jun 2026). Fields marked otherwise come from the dataset named on them. None are verified by hand against Christchurch International Airport’s own pages.
CHC airport facts
- Size class
- Large airport
- From OurAirports (5 Oct 2026); OurAirports’ own classification
- Elevation
- 37 m (123 ft)
- From OurAirports (5 Oct 2026)
- Opened
- 18 May 1940
- Per Wikidata (opens in a new tab) (retrieved 5 Oct 2026) — date of official opening
- Owner
- Government of New Zealand, Christchurch City Council
- Per Wikidata (opens in a new tab) (retrieved 5 Oct 2026)
- Nearest airport with scheduled flights
- Timaru Airport TIU · 138 km
- OurAirports scheduled-service flag; straight-line distance calculated
Runways at CHC
Source: OurAirports (opens in a new tab) runways data (public domain), retrieved 5 Oct 2026. Not an aeronautical source — not for navigation.
3 open runways, 2 lit. Longest 02/20: 3,288 m, asphalt.
| Runway | Length | Width | Surface | Lighting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02/20 | 3,288 m10,787 ft | 45 m | asphalt | Lit |
| 11/29 | 1,703 m5,587 ft | 45 m | asphalt | Lit |
| 01/19 | 515 m1,690 ft | 70 m | grass | Not listed as lit |
Airlines and destinations from CHC
Source: Travelpayouts fare data, 5 Oct 2026 — destinations where travellers found a nonstop fare from CHC in the days before that date. Not a complete or live schedule.
Nonstop fares from CHC to 6 destinations in 4 countries, on 4 airlines. Originfacts’ own route records for CHC are listed separately below.
Airlines named on the fares
- NZAir New Zealand2 destinations
- JQJetstar2 destinations
- FJFiji Airways1 destination
- QFQantas1 destination
The airline on a fare can be the seller of a codeshare flown by a partner. Linked names are matched to Originfacts airline pages by code and name; others are shown as the fare data names them.
Destinations by country
- New Zealand (3)
- Auckland, Tauranga, Wellington
- Australia (1)
- Sydney
- Fiji (1)
- Nadi
- Japan (1)
- Tokyo
Linked destinations also have an Originfacts route record from CHC.
Check schedules with the airline or Christchurch International Airport before you book.
Airlines on routes from CHC
Source: Originfacts route records, last updated 21 May 2026. Not verified by hand.
The airlines listed on the route Originfacts tracks from CHC. Only 1 route from CHC is in Originfacts’ route records so far — a small sample, not Christchurch International Airport’s full network. This is not a complete list of airlines at Christchurch International Airport.
Routes from CHC
Source: Originfacts route records, last updated 21 May 2026. Not verified by hand.
The route Originfacts tracks from CHC so far, listed with the distance and estimated flight time in each route record. Only 1 route from CHC is in Originfacts’ route records so far — a small sample, not Christchurch International Airport’s full network. Check live schedules with the airline.
Full list of destinations: christchurchairport.co.nz (opens in a new tab) (the airport’s official site)
Airlines with a hub at CHC
Per Wikidata (opens in a new tab) (retrieved 5 Oct 2026): airlines whose “airline hub” property names CHC, with no end date and not recorded as dissolved. Community-edited; hubs change.
Where CHC is
9.6 km west-northwest
Christchurch International Airport lies 9.6 km west-northwest of Christchurch city centre in a straight line. Road distance is longer; transport options are not yet verified (see terminals and transport below).
Calculated from the airport coordinates (OurAirports) and the Wikidata (opens in a new tab) city-centre point.
Terminals, transport and parking at CHC
Terminal assignments, ground transport into Christchurch, parking, lounges and accessibility services have not been verified against Christchurch International Airport’s own pages yet, so none are listed here.
Check directly:christchurchairport.co.nz (opens in a new tab)Map of the airport location (opens in a new tab)
Before you travel
- Confirm your terminal with the operating airline.
- Check the check-in and bag-drop cut-off times on your booking.
- Allow extra time if you need to change terminals or check bags in again.
- Check your flight status before you leave for the airport.
Climate at CHC, month by month
Source: NASA POWER (opens in a new tab) daily values for 2016–2025 at -43.49°, 172.54° (MERRA-2 reanalysis grid, about 50 km cells), averaged by Originfacts. Modelled, not airport weather-station readings.
Warmest: February (average high 24°C). Coolest: July (11°C high, 3°C low). Wettest: July (115 mm); driest: September (71 mm).
| Month | High | Low | Temperature range | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24°C | 12°C | 82 mm | |
| Feb | 24°C | 12°C | 75 mm | |
| Mar | 21°C | 10°C | 74 mm | |
| Apr | 18°C | 8°C | 94 mm | |
| May | 15°C | 6°C | 97 mm | |
| Jun | 11°C | 4°C | 81 mm | |
| Jul | 11°C | 3°C | 115 mm | |
| Aug | 12°C | 3°C | 80 mm | |
| Sep | 14°C | 5°C | 71 mm | |
| Oct | 17°C | 6°C | 93 mm | |
| Nov | 19°C | 9°C | 83 mm | |
| Dec | 22°C | 11°C | 95 mm |
Airports near Christchurch
Straight-line distances calculated from each airport’s coordinates in the Originfacts airport records. Road distances are longer.
- TimaruTimaru AirportTIU138 km
- HokitikaHokitika AirportHKK154 km
- WestportWestport AirportWSZ210 km
- BlenheimWoodbourne AirportBHE246 km
- NelsonNelson AirportNSN250 km
- PictonPicton AerodromePCN268 km
- WellingtonWellington International AirportWLG304 km
- DunedinDunedin International AirportDUD327 km
- QueenstownQueenstown AirportZQN347 km
Christchurch International Airport: common questions
Where is Christchurch International Airport?
Christchurch International Airport serves Christchurch, New Zealand. Its coordinates in OurAirports are -43.489°, 172.532°.
What are the airport codes for Christchurch International Airport?
The IATA code is CHC and the ICAO code is NZCH.
What time zone is CHC in?
Christchurch International Airport is in the Pacific/Auckland time zone.
What is the official website of Christchurch International Airport?
The airport’s official website is christchurchairport.co.nz. For questions about a booking, contact the operating airline.
Which airlines are listed on routes from CHC?
Originfacts’ route records (last updated 21 May 2026) list Emirates, Jetstar, Air New Zealand and Qantas on routes from CHC. This is not a complete list of airlines at Christchurch International Airport; check current schedules with the airline.
Where can you fly from CHC?
Originfacts’ route records (last updated 21 May 2026) include only one route from CHC so far, to Sydney. That is a small sample, not Christchurch International Airport’s full network. For the full list of destinations, check the airport’s official website (christchurchairport.co.nz) or the airlines.
How many runways does Christchurch International Airport have?
OurAirports lists 3 open runways at CHC: 02/20 (3,288 m (10,787 ft), asphalt); 11/29 (1,703 m (5,587 ft), asphalt); 01/19 (515 m (1,690 ft), grass).
Where can you fly nonstop from CHC?
Travelpayouts fare data retrieved 5 Oct 2026 showed nonstop fares from CHC to 6 destinations in 4 countries, the most in New Zealand (3). That reflects fares travellers found, not a complete or live schedule.
When did Christchurch International Airport open?
Wikidata gives 18 May 1940 as its official opening date.
Who owns Christchurch International Airport?
Per Wikidata, CHC is owned by Government of New Zealand and Christchurch City Council.
Which airlines have a hub at CHC?
Wikidata lists CHC as a hub of Mount Cook Airline and Virgin Australia.
How far is CHC from Christchurch city centre?
Christchurch International Airport is about 9.6 km west-northwest of Christchurch city centre in a straight line, calculated from coordinates. The distance by road is longer.
Sources
Nothing on this page is verified by hand yet. Each section comes from the dataset below, with its date where the dataset has one. Terminal, transport and parking details are left out until they can be read from Christchurch International Airport’s own pages.
- Codes, location, time zoneOriginfacts airport record12 Jun 2026
- Official websiteWikidata record (official website property) (opens in a new tab)5 Oct 2026
- Coordinates, runways, type, elevationOurAirports (opens in a new tab) — public domain5 Oct 2026
- Opening, operator, passengers, hubsWikidata item Q1061330 (opens in a new tab) — CC05 Oct 2026
- Nonstop destinations, airlines on faresTravelpayouts Data API (Aviasales fare cache) — fares found, not a complete or live schedule5 Oct 2026
- ClimateNASA POWER (opens in a new tab) daily data (MERRA-2 reanalysis), averaged by Originfacts2016–2025
- Distance to city centreCalculated from airport coordinates and the Wikidata (opens in a new tab) city-centre point—
- Airlines and routesOriginfacts route records — the routes we track, not a full schedule21 May 2026
- Nearby airportsCalculated from airport coordinates—
- Terminals and transportNot yet verified—
Background reading:Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)