Sustainability at the Airport

Hawkes Bay Airport is purpose-led; connecting people, business and regions while balancing positive financial returns with wider social and environmental outcomes. We do this by providing a safe, secure transport hub with sustainability at the heart of what we do.

How we're behaving more responsibility

Our airfield, vehicles and car park

  • Airfield - Runway lighting has been replaced with new and energy efficient LED system. Electric ground power provided to aircraft on most stands
  • Vehicles - Our airside fire service and operational vehicles are fully electric or plug in hybrid PHEV
  • Car Park - Two 75kW electric vehicle chargers for customers, upgrading 56 new LED lamps and reducing waste via our ticketless parking upgrade

Our terminal

  • Is 100% fossil fuel-free
  • Rooftop solar panels were installed in late 2025, supplying more than one third of total terminal electricity demand
  • Building heating and cooling requirements are provided by energy efficient commercial heat pumps
  • All lighting is energy efficient LEDs
  • Internet of Things (IoT) sensors installed to monitor energy, water, temperature, humidity and and indoor air quality in real time

We also recognise that energy efficiency is vital in reducing our absolute carbon emissions, so avoiding non-essential energy is another area of focus for our business.

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Caring for Our Environment

Our initiatives reach beyond the terminal. Surrounding the Aeropark is a vital wetland and habitat for native wildlife, including the all-important Kauaka, which is the inspiration behind our terminal design.

Since 2019, we’ve partnered with Biodiversity Hawke’s Bay, providing support for local restoration projects and ensuring the protection and enhancement of the unique biodiversity of our area. An annual Biodiversity Week at the airport also helps to highlight the importance of biodiversity with airport visitors.

Find out more about the critical mahi they do.

Biodiversity Hawke's Bay

About Airport Carbon Accreditation

ACI launched the Airport Carbon Accreditation in 2009 after member airports adopted a landmark resolution on Climate Change to reduce carbon emissions from their operations with the ultimate goal of becoming carbon neutral.

As the only global, airport-specific carbon standard, Airport Carbon Accreditation provides airports with a common framework of seven levels of certification: ‘Mapping’, ‘Reduction’, ‘Optimisation’, Neutrality’, ‘Transformation’, ‘Transition’ and ‘Level 5’ and independently assesses and recognises the efforts of airports to manage and reduce their carbon emissions.

Sustainability Policy

Our Carbon Accreditation Achievements

In February 2020, we succeeded in our first step towards carbon neutrality, gaining Level 1 of the internationally recognised Airport Carbon Accreditation programme.

In January 2021, we gained Level 2 ACA certification recognising Hawke’s Bay Airport’s commitment to emission reduction, climate change mitigation and sustainable development.  Level 2 requires the airport to show that it has made meaningful change in its carbon emissions, and since 2018, HBAL has reduced its average emissions per passenger by 12%.

Achieving Level 3 (out of six levels) requires us to look beyond our own operations, which sees us work with our partners, such as tenants and contractors, to help bring their emissions down.  

In 2023, we achieved a significant milestone in our carbon neutrality, joining less than 45 other Airports worldwide and being the only airport in Australasia to achieve 4+ transition status accreditation. A massive achievement for a small airport. This won us the Sustainability Initiative of the Year award at the New Zealand Airports Association Awards.

The 4+ level was re-endorsed in 2026, reflecting our continued efforts towards reducing our carbon emissions. 

Learn more about what it takes to be recognised in this incredibly coveted category.

Airport Carbon Accreditation
Hawke’s Bay Airport Sustainability Projects Manager Michelle Duncan (L) accepts the Sustainability Initiative award from NZ Airports Association CEO Kevin Ward (R)
Hawke’s Bay Airport Sustainability Projects Manager Michelle Duncan (L) accepts the Sustainability Initiative award from NZ Airports Association CEO Kevin Ward (R)

Saving for a bright future with ASB

In November 2021, Hawke’s Bay Airport became the first airport in the country to partner with ASB as part of its sustainable linked loan initiative. Sustainability-linked Loans (SLLs) require the borrower to commit to key environmental, social, and/or governance (ESG) targets, adjusting borrowing costs based on their performance against these targets. The regional airport’s $23 million sustainability-linked loan uses ASB funds allocated under the Reserve Bank’s Funding for Lending (FLP) programme, which the bank has committed to using to support projects that meet sustainability or regional infrastructure criteria while supporting a greener economy and helping to combat climate change.

Awards & Achievements

New Zealand Airports Association Awards 2023

  • Winner Medium Airport of the Year
  • Winner Sustainability Initiative of the Year – for achieving Airport Carbon Accreditation
  • Winner The Customer Engagement Initiative of the Year - for our response to Cyclone Gabrielle

New Zealand Airports Association Awards 2022

  • Winner Medium Airport of the Year
  • Winner of Sustainability Initiative of the Year – for ASB partnership
  • Winner of Community Initiative of the Year (Biodiversity Week 2022 with Biodiversity Hawke's Bay)

Asia Pacific Airports Council International

  • Platinum winner -Green Airports Recognition 2022 Carbon Management

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Opening Hours

Monday to Saturday from 4.45 am

Sunday from 5.45 am

The terminal closes after the last flight of the day.

Terms & conditions of competition

  • For the purposes of these Terms and Conditions, “The Promoter” refers to Hawke’s Bay Airport.
  • By entering the competition, you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.
  • The Promoter’s competition with entry via Facebook is open only to residents of New Zealand, over 18 years old.
  • No purchase necessary. Winners will not be required to pay to enter the competition.
  • Employees of the Promoter are not eligible to enter.
  • Facebook/Meta are not in any way affiliated or involved in the competition.
  • Each entrant shall enter the competition the Hawke’s Bay Airport Facebook page by adding a photo to the competition post. Private messages will not be accepted as an entry.
  • The Prize will be awarded to a randomly selected winner, using a random number generator. The Promoter will not be held liable if the named prize becomes unavailable or cannot be fulfilled. The winner will be posted to our Facebook page within 3 days of the competition closing date.
  • If the prize winner cannot be contacted within 3 days of the closing date, at promoter’s option the winner may be taken to have forfeited the prize and a substitute winner may be selected.
  • The Promoter will not be held liable for any failure of receipt of entries. The Promoter takes no responsibility for any entries that are lost, delayed, illegible, corrupted, damaged, incomplete or otherwise invalid.
  • To the extent permitted by applicable law, The Promoter shall not be liable under or in connection with these terms and conditions, the competition or any Prize for any indirect, special or consequential cost, expense, loss or damage suffered by a participant even if such cost, expense, loss or damage was reasonably foreseeable or might reasonably have been contemplated by the participant and the promoter and whether arising from breach of contract, tort, negligence, breach of statutory duty or otherwise.
  • Prizes are non-negotiable, non-transferable and non-refundable. No cash alternative is available. Where a Prize becomes unavailable for any reason, the Promoter reserves the right to substitute that prize for a different prize which may not be of equal value.
  • The name, address and phone number of the winner must be provided to the Promoter if requested and will be shared with the donator of the prize to enable fulfilment of the Prize.
  • In the event of unforeseen circumstances beyond the Promoter’s reasonable control, the Promoter reserves the right to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the competition or these terms and conditions, either in whole or in part, with or without notice.
  • The Promoter’s decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into.
  • The winner’s name and social media username may be posted on the social media profiles of the Promotor after the winner has been selected.