First stage of the Transport Hub opens 2am, Wednesday 3 AprilAll new undercover drop-off / pick-up for international terminalPrioritised public transport lanes and commercial drop-offParksmart Gold and 5 Green Star sustainability designDesigned to integrate with future mass rapid transit stationInner terminal road to fully close to traffic for first time in 50 years.
Auckland Airport’s international terminal transport system is set for the biggest change in its nearly 50-year history
with the opening of the Transport Hub ground floor on Wednesday 3 April.
From 2am that morning, travellers heading for the international terminal will be the first to experience the brand-new
facility when they pull up to more than 320m of new undercover kerbside drop off and pick up – a 200 per cent boost in
space on what’s currently available out front of the terminal. Construction continues with parking levels above opening
late-2024.
Replacing the old 1977 international terminal ground-level car park, the ground floor of the Transport Hub covers over
14,000m2 with separate lanes for public and commercial traffic creating an efficient and modern arrival and departure
experience for those using public transport and scheduled buses, being dropped off or picked up by friends and family,
or being dropped off by taxis, rideshares and shuttles.
Directly alongside the Transport Hub, new office spaces for the airport’s operational teams and partner organisations
are under construction, designed to a 5-Star Green rating. A 1.2-megawatt rooftop solar array will help power the office
building and the EV charging available in the car park.
Auckland Airport Chief Executive, Carrie Hurihanganui, said the Transport Hub creates an easier, efficient and more
welcoming arrival and departure point for international travellers, and in the future, domestic customers of the new
integrated domestic terminal.
“The drop-off and pick-up lanes, designed to handle the 650 vehicles an hour expected at peak, are an important step
towards a new integrated domestic terminal. This is creating the capacity to manage future vehicle volumes with
allowance for future mass rapid transit right alongside.”
Around the Transport Hub, pedestrian walkways and landscaping showcasing native planting, including mature pōhutukawa
re-located from the surrounding construction sites, creates spaces with a unique feel of Aotearoa New Zealand. Five
25,000 litre rainwater tanks will provide non-potable water for the office and Transport Hub, plus irrigation for
planted areas.
“We’re thrilled to be opening the first stage less than two years after starting work on the site. This was the first of
our major infrastructure projects to get underway once the borders reopened. Post-pandemic there was a window of
opportunity while international travel was rebuilding to complete a project of this scale while minimising disruption.
“We do recognise that car parking was less convenient for a period, so we thank people for their patience and
understanding during the Transport Hub construction. We reckon the ease and convenience the Transport Hub delivers will
be absolutely worth it.”
1970s Inner terminal road closes for business
The opening of the Transport Hub brings the closure of the drop off and pick up area that’s operated directly out front
of the international terminal.
As Auckland Airport works towards starting on the new domestic terminal proper, there is an extensive programme of
projects – enabling works – to prepare the airport for a successful build.
“The upgrade of our terminal front door is one which will be most noticeable to anyone coming to the international
terminal,” said Ms Hurihanganui.
“We’ll be closing the inner terminal road in front of the terminal building to make way for a raft of upgrades that will
support the new domestic terminal to be integrated into the international terminal.
“We will also eventually reinstate the two-lane inner terminal road prioritising public transport at the front door of
the terminal. This will further increase public drop-off / pick-up capacity in the Transport Hub.
“A feature of the design allows for wide covered footpaths to create room for families and travellers with luggage,
pedestrian crossings, plenty of seats, and lighting, as well as calling time on the large sails that have adorned the
terminal since the early 90s as we create a more modern look to our front door.
“Below ground, we need to prepare the airport for the next 50 years of operation by making sure the vital utilities
backbone – water, stormwater, sewage, power, telecommunications, and the like – are fit-for-purpose. Over the years
utilities have kept pace with traveller growth but meeting the needs of the new domestic terminal and ensuring future
resilience requires a major upgrade to these vital, albeit hidden, connections,” Ms Hurihanganui said.
Work on the road, utilities and area directly in front of the terminal will take place over the next two years.
Pedestrian access will be maintained throughout through controlled crossings at departures and arrivals.
The detail:
· 70,000m2 building
· 200m long, each floor of the four-storey structure is the size of two rugby fields with a double height ground
floor
· Four levels of short-term car parking above the public drop-off / pick-up opening late-2024
· Space allocated alongside for future mass rapid transit station
· 1.2-megawatt solar array to help power public EV charging stations and 5-Star Green office building under
construction next to the Transport Hub.
What’s new for customers:Undercover public drop-off / pick-up, plus public transport, Park & Ride bus connection, interterminal bus connections and commercial drop-off680m of new covered walkways, landscaping and open spaces create contemporary plaza areasAccessible zones within the commercial and public drop-off / pick-upExisting international terminal drop-off / pick-up closes.