Christchurch International Airport

CHC NZCH  Christchurch, New Zealand

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CHC at a glance

  • What it is: Christchurch International Airport is a regional airport serving Christchurch, New Zealand.
  • Codes: CHC on your ticket, NZCH on the radar.
  • Size: 3 runways at 123 ft above sea level.
  • Main airline: Air New Zealand bases aircraft here.
  • Right now: 15 aircraft are within 55 km, shown live on the map above.
  • Local time zone: Pacific/Auckland (UTC+12), so every time shown for CHC is local rather than UTC.

Aircraft observed near CHC

15 aircraft are within 55 km of CHC right now. This is live ADS-B traffic, not a published timetable: aircraft are classified by what they are physically doing - Climbing out, on approach, or holding at cruise overhead. For gate numbers and scheduled times, check with CHC directly or your airline.

Departing now

FlightOperatorRouteStatusAltitudeSpeed
ZKEYC — route not published climbing out 1,325 ft 74 kts
ZKRLG — route not published climbing out 550 ft 61 kts
ZKHJM — route not published climbing out 900 ft 53 kts
FDC25 — route not published climbing out 7,500 ft 186 kts
ZKEQE — route not published climbing out 1,725 ft 73 kts
ANZ360M Air New Zealand route not published climbing out 10,200 ft 215 kts

Arriving now

FlightOperatorRouteStatusAltitudeSpeed
ZKEBJ — route not published on approach 650 ft 47 kts
ANZ357M Air New Zealand route not published on approach 500 ft 110 kts
ZKEYA — route not published on approach 800 ft 72 kts

Overhead and in the area

FlightOperatorRouteStatusAltitudeSpeed
ZKHZM — route not published in the area 400 ft 60 kts
ZKLJT — route not published in the area 1,800 ft 124 kts
ZKEBC — route not published in the area 1,375 ft 99 kts
ZKNRH — route not published in the area — 89 kts
ZKMBG — route not published in the area 1,800 ft 104 kts
ZKLJC — route not published in the area 1,800 ft 97 kts
3
Runways
123 ft
Field elevation

About Christchurch International Airport

Christchurch International Airport lies in the temperate mid-latitudes at 43.49° S, 172.53° E, on Pacific/Auckland time (UTC+12).

Christchurch International Airport has 3 runways. The longest, 02/20, measures 10,787 ft by 148 ft, which puts the field in the long-haul capable category: widebodies operate comfortably, though the very longest sectors may need a payload trade. Surfaces vary across the field (asphalt, bitumen, grass). 2 of the 3 carry runway lighting.

Runway 02/20 is aligned roughly north-east/south-west, which is the clearest hint you get about the prevailing wind here: runways are built to face the wind that blows most often, because aircraft take off and land into it. With 3 runways across 3 different headings, crews can pick whichever best suits the wind.

The runways are not interchangeable. 01/19 is 1,690 ft against 02/20's 10,787 ft, a difference of 9,097 ft, so the shorter one generally takes regional traffic while the longer handles anything heavy.

Runways at CHC

RunwayLengthWidthSurfaceLighting
02/20 10,787 ft (3,288 m) 148 ft Asphalt Lit
11/29 5,587 ft (1,703 m) 148 ft Bitumen Lit
01/19 1,690 ft (515 m) 229 ft Grass Unlit

Runway numbers are the magnetic heading rounded to ten degrees, which is why they change when the magnetic field drifts - runway numbers explained.

Airports near CHC

Great-circle distance from Christchurch International Airport, closest first.

AirportCodeDistanceDirectionCity
Wellington WLG 304 km north-east Wellington
IATA / ICAO
CHC / NZCH
Location
Christchurch, New Zealand -43.489, 172.532
Time zone
Pacific/Auckland
Opened
Website
http://www.christchurchairport.co.nz/

Airlines hubbed at CHC

NZ · ANZ Air New Zealand New Zealand

Nearby and related airports

Geographically close airports and useful alternatives in New Zealand.

WLG Wellington International Airport Wellington, New Zealand AKL Auckland Airport Auckland, New Zealand SYD Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport Sydney, Australia MEL Melbourne Airport Melbourne, Australia

More airports and guides connected to CHC

Most of the tails you see here belong to Air New Zealand. How a field like this runs day to day is covered in how airports work. Nearby, Wellington (WLG) serves the same country. The codes CHC and NZCH are explained in airport codes decoded.

Data sources and review

Reviewed 2026-07-29 by Flight-Tracker.net Editorial Team

This profile is generated from the airport's published coordinates, elevation and runway records. It does not claim live terminal or passenger totals.

Read our airport data sourcing and review process, or inspect the machine-readable reference dataset.

Frequently asked questions about CHC

What is the airport code for Christchurch International Airport?

Christchurch International Airport uses the IATA code CHC on tickets and baggage tags, and the ICAO code NZCH in flight plans and on radar. The leading “N” in NZCH is the region marker: ICAO codes are grouped geographically, which is why airports near each other usually share their first letter or two while their IATA codes look unrelated.

How many runways does CHC have?

Christchurch International Airport operates 3 runways. The field sits at 123 ft above sea level.

Which airlines are based at CHC?

Air New Zealand treat CHC as a hub or major base. Many other carriers serve the airport without basing aircraft there.

What time zone is CHC in?

Christchurch International Airport runs on Pacific/Auckland, currently UTC+12. Flight trackers work in UTC internally, so the seven-day history on our flight pages is stamped UTC while the boards on this page are in CHC local time - worth remembering when the two disagree by a whole calendar day.

Can I track flights at CHC live?

Yes. The map on this page shows every aircraft broadcasting its position within about 55 km of Christchurch International Airport, and there are 15 in range as this page loaded. The boards split them into departures, arrivals and traffic passing overhead, all timed in Pacific/Auckland.