# Chatham Islands / Tuuta Airport (CHT)

> Te One, NZ · IATA: CHT · ICAO: NZCI · Medium Airport · Cargo Hub

## Quick Facts

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| IATA | `CHT` |
| ICAO | `NZCI` |
| City | Te One |
| Country | NZ |
| Type | Medium Airport |
| Elevation | 13 m |
| Cargo | ✅ |
| GPS | -43.81189, -176.46514 |

## Description

A runway extended to 1,850 metres and widened to 45 metres moved Chatham Islands / Tuuta Airport (CHT/NZCI) into a different league in 2026, allowing jet aircraft and jet freighters to reach the archipelago some 800 kilometres east of mainland New Zealand for the first time. The five-year "Longer and Stronger" programme cost around NZD 50 million and, alongside lengthening the former 1,360-metre strip, delivered a new passenger terminal opened in August 2026. The first jet to use the extended runway was a converted TEXEL Air Boeing 737 freighter operating an Auckland–Chathams return rotation. Day-to-day service still rests with Air Chathams, New Zealand's largest privately owned airline, whose ATR 72 carries passengers and freight together on links to Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Outbound loads are dominated by high-value live seafood from the local fishery — rock lobster, blue cod, kina and pāua — with extra capacity laid on during the crayfish season. Inbound, the same flights bring food, medicines and mail, making the service a genuine lifeline for residents. Volumes stay modest, but this cargo link is essential to the island economy, and the new runway widens the options for larger freighters for the first time.

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*Freight Academy — Airport Profile: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/chatham-islands-tuuta-airport-cht](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/chatham-islands-tuuta-airport-cht)*

*Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/airports/en/chatham-islands-tuuta-airport-cht](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/airports/en/chatham-islands-tuuta-airport-cht)*

*LLM-Summary (JSON): https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/airports/chatham-islands-tuuta-airport-cht/llm-summary*