Last Thursday night Hawke’s Bay Airport scooped up a handful of awards at the New Zealand Airports Association awards, held in Christchurch.

The awards celebrate the best of New Zealand airports, and cover the 12 months to 30 June 2023.

Hawke’s Bay Airport received three awards this year – repeating its 2022 success:

• The Medium Airport of the Year award
• The Sustainability Initiative of the Year award (medium airport) – for the airport achieving its Airport Carbon Accreditation Level 4+ Transition status. HBAL is currently the only airport in Australasia to achieve the stringent 4+ Transition accreditation and is now in an elite group of less than 45 airports worldwide in the ACA 4+ category
• The Customer Engagement Initiative of the Year award (medium airport) – for the airport’s Cyclone Gabrielle community response

Airport CEO Rob Stratford, says he is extremely proud of the Hawke’s Bay Airport team and what they have achieved: “To win three awards two years running is especially rewarding.

“The year to June 2023, was an extraordinary year for our airport, with the completion of the stunning new forecourt bringing the final touch to our new terminal, the response to Cyclone Gabrielle, and our international carbon accreditation, which saw our sustainability efforts recognised with the highest global level of achievement.

“Winning back to back Medium Airport of the Year awards, is especially pleasing. Our airport is a lifeline asset and regional economic enabler that all of Hawke’s Bay can be proud of, and these awards reflect that.

“Our response to Cyclone Gabrielle was a moment in time that no one could have expected, and the value to customers and people using the terminal as a lifeline during the cyclone is unquantifiable.

“Being able to support the community in times of extreme need is a rare privilege, and why we do what we do,” says Mr Stratford.

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