Wanaka Airport guide

Wānaka Airport sits on a plateau beside State Highway 6 near Luggate, on the south-eastern side of Wānaka township. It replaced Mount Iron Aerodrome as the town's main airport in 1985, after the council expanded a private airstrip.

The airport has one asphalt runway, 11/29, which is 1,200 metres long. That length takes turboprops such as the Dash 8-Q300 and ATR 72, although the terminal was not built for the passenger numbers those aircraft carry. A sealed taxiway and apron serve the terminal, and the site also holds general aviation and helicopter hangars, refuelling facilities and a meteorological station.

There are no scheduled passenger flights at present. Air New Zealand flew to Christchurch through Eagle Airways from 2004 until 2013. SoundsAir ran daily Christchurch services from November 2020 until it stopped in 2025, citing rising costs. The airport now handles mainly scenic, charter and private flying.

Queenstown Lakes District Council owns the airport, and Queenstown Airport Corporation manages it under a management agreement. Queenstown Airport, about an hour away by road, is the usual gateway for scheduled flights.