Auckland Airport ready to take world's biggest airliner

Auckland Airport has become the first in the country able to take the world's largest passenger aircraft, the Airbus A380.

Work on widening and lengthening the main runway was finished this week in a programme which began 15 years ago.

The double-decker Airbus A380 can carry 550 passengers and is so big that airports around the world have had to be modified to enable the new jet to land and take off.

Auckland International Airport Company said the Airbus A380 would have the same impact on aviation as the Boeing 747 had in the 1970s.

Chief executive Don Huse said getting the facilities at Mangere ready for the Airbus A380 was vital.

"If we don't, Auckland and New Zealand could risk becoming a second-tier destination ... or 'branch line' from Sydney," he said.

"It is crucial for New Zealand's tourism and air cargo sectors that we are ready for this exciting aircraft."

While the work lengthening and widening the main runway was being done, a standby runway was used.

Mr Huse said that 300mm-thick concrete - enough to build a footpath from Auckland Airport to Hamilton - was replaced. The programme was expected to extend runway life by up to 40 years.

- NZPA