Travellers flying into or out of Hawke’s Bay will be soon be welcomed into the newly expanded Hawke’s Bay Airport, with the construction of the new terminal almost complete.
Pending Council sign-off on the building, the redeveloped terminal will be open to the public in the week of 2nd – 6thAugust.
Visitors arriving from the carpark will enter the building under a timber waharoa (gateway) symbolising the beak of the kuaka that nest nearby. An expansive foyer leads to a central space that hosts new retail and hospitality spaces, including a Bay Espresso café and Roosters Brewery bar.
Flanked by the arrivals and departure lounges, opened in 2019, the space also features luxurious bathrooms and a large viewing mezzanine for friends and family to await their visitors. A children’s play area and installations that tell Hawke’s Bay stories make this a destination visitors will want to spend time in.
Hawke’s Bay Airport chief executive, Stuart Ainslie says every effort has gone into making this a space local people will want to welcome their visitors to or arrive home to.
“We are most proud of the way we’ve been able to work with Jacob Scott, Mana Ahuriri and other key partners to tell our cultural and heritage stories throughout the space – but rather than describe them I’ll let visitors experience them for themselves when they visit. It’s simply stunning.”
Some exterior cladding and landscaping is still being worked on but the Hawke’s Bay Airport team were keen to allow the visitors to start using the terminal as soon as it was operational.
Mana Ahuriri will bless the new terminal on Monday August 2nd and all going well, it’s hoped early Wednesday morning will see the first flights to arrive and depart through the new building.
“There will definitely be a buzz in the air when the passengers from the first few flights come through, the airport starts to fill with people and the coffee machine starts humming.
“This is a huge milestone for our team and all the partners we’ve been working with – it’s a significant achievement considering all the challenges we’ve faced. We can’t wait to see the reactions as visitors see what we’ve been working on for all this time,” Mr Ainslie says.