NZA Simulations has recently previewed their progress on Christchurch International Airport (NZCH) for Microsoft Flight Simulator, the third busiest airport in New Zealand with a yearly average of 6 million passengers.

Located in Harewood, a northwestern suburb of Christchurch, it officially opened in May 1940, as RNZAF Station Harewood. Six years later, it already had a small terminal building, and basic infrastructure for passenger traffic, which eventually led to its clearance to operate internationally, granted in 1950. It was New Zealand’s first international airport.

The current runway layout was conceived in 1953, with runway 2/20 being around 2,000m and 11/29 at nearly 1,800m. The length was just enough for TEAL’s DC-6 aircraft to operate on their trans-Tasman service in 1954. The sudden surge in passenger figures led to the construction of a new terminal, designed by Paul Pascoe, and inaugurated in 1960. Runways were extended in the mid-60s to conform to Boeing 707 standards, used by Qantas on the route to Sydney. The main runway underwent further extension work in 1984 to the current total of 3,287 meters.

The airport is served by 12 airlines, with direct flights to 18 domestic and 11 international destinations, with 1057 weekly flights (as of 2015). It’s a hub for Air New Zealand, with a network of domestic legs and four international destinations in Australia.

The developers claim it has entered final testing, with external testers and partners receiving their release candidate versions. The release date is still unknown, but they aim to line it up with the upcoming New Zealand World Update XII.
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