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Passenger numbers at Hamilton Airport increased 39 per cent in the six months to December 31, 2025, with 71,000 more travellers passing through the terminal compared with the same period in 2024.
In its half-year report for July 1 to December 31, 2025, the airport recorded strong growth across both international and domestic services.
Of the additional passengers, about 55,000 travelled on international flights between Hamilton, Sydney and the Gold Coast. Jetstar launched daily international services to Australia in June 2025.
Hamilton Airport chief executive Mark Morgan says demand has remained strong since the launch.
“The international flights have been really well supported. Hamilton Airport is now welcoming passengers from across the Waikato, Bay of Plenty, King Country and Taranaki who find it easier to board here than drive to Auckland.
“We even have people drive south from Bombay to us, because flight times are convenient, fares are cheaper and they can dodge the Auckland traffic.
“But more importantly, we have thousands of passengers landing in Hamilton direct from Australia, spending time with friends and family and going on to explore the central North Island and the rest of New Zealand. It’s been fantastic to see,” says Mark.
Hamilton & Waikato Tourism general manager Nicola Greenwell says Australian visitor days to the Waikato grew about 24 per cent during 2025.
“Our Australian visitors are loving what the mighty Waikato has to offer. Visitors from across the ditch account for 18 per cent of our international expenditure in the region. They’re especially keen on our food and beverage and retail offerings, with about $18 million spent in those sectors alone last year,” says Nicola.
Passenger growth was also supported by the return of domestic jet services for the first time in 25 years. Air New Zealand introduced a five-day-a-week Airbus A320 service in September, increasing it to daily services this month. Jetstar launched a daily Hamilton–Christchurch Airbus A320 service in December 2025.
“It means more than half of our passengers now enter or exit our airport on a jet service. That shows the airport has matured and that airlines see Hamilton and the Waikato as a growth market,” says Mark.
The increase in passenger numbers contributed to a $1.4 million rise in revenue for the half year. Mark says Waikato Regional Airport Ltd is on track to deliver its first profit since 2019, without relying on land sales.
“Let’s not count our chickens, but we certainly hope to end the financial year in a solid financial position driven by aeronautical growth. The airport business is a tough one and in the past our diversification strategy, particularly our investment in commercial property holdings, has allowed us to strengthen our balance sheet when others couldn’t.
“The growth in our aeronautical business is something we have worked hard for over a long time and it’s great to see results starting to come through,” he says.
Waikato Regional Airport Ltd is a council-controlled organisation owned by Hamilton City, Otorohanga, Waipā, Waikato and Matamata-Piako district councils. It is the umbrella company for Hamilton Airport, Jet Park Hotel Hamilton Airport, Hamilton & Waikato Tourism and Titanium Park Ltd.
