Air New Zealand Air Points - New AKL pier (international terminal) now open

Pier B at international terminal opened on Friday (see report (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=10501833)).

The new pier B (gates 15 & 16) is down a corridor that is almost hidden to the right, beside the first duty free shop on the top level and to the right. Signage certainly could be improved.

There are some moving walkways, but as with the arrivals area which opened earlier this year these are short, too narrow to easily pass others and still leave a lot of walking in between. I much prefer the ones at SIN.

There are no shops in the new pier, although I guess they could be added fairly easily and with AKL's fetish for extracting maximum possible revenue out of passengers, airlines and shops alike I expect it will not be long before there are some along here. All EK A380 flights will use this pier, plus other a/c at busy times. Today is the official opening of the pier and it still has the unmistakeable new smell. The big windows provide a decent view

Actually, it only opens for "real" flights on 21 October: http://www.auckland-airport.co.nz/NewsHistory/press_releases.php?rid=314

I am interested as to how they will board two A320-size flights simultaneously from the one gate. From what I can see there is only one fixed-link ramp sloping down from departures, so unless they run a cordon down the middle, it would seem that while two A320s can park at (say) 15L and 15R, they cannot be boarded simultaneously?

The airbridge does indeed have a barrier running down the middle.

perhaps they took the design from a sheep draughting race.... after all isin't that how AIA sees the tens of thousands of sheep it fleeces annually?

The airbridge does indeed have a barrier running down the middle.

Cheers. Something along the line of Melbourne's layout (G9 and G11) then. Would be good if the new pier had space reserved for possible airline lounges on top of the departures level in the future (especially for EK allowing direct boarding from the lounge like at BNE), but I won't hold my breath that AKL thought that far ahead, since they seldom do.

AFAIK EK will be building a lounge on pier B. The gates are quite a distance from the current lounges.

What they really need now is a hotel in the terminal rather than having to drive 10 minutes, a Hilton would be great.

IIRC the airport master plan called for a hotel landside in between the international terminal and the future domestic terminal (ie over the carparks in front of international terminal).

That would be ideal if they have the space. Good that Emirates is moving their lounge to that wing, although their current lounge is nice there is talk that it may not be large enough to cope with all the J/F/Gold Passengers at once when the times for emirates flights are revised in Feb 2009 to be a lot closer together.

It was quite a hike to the new gates- Was not aware that 4 smaller aircraft could park there. I was not impressed with the new extension. At the very least I would of thought they would of added more than 2 gates.

Effectively it is 4 gates as 15A, 15B, 16A and 16B. A380 (and perhaps 747?) needs a double gate, but I assume smaller a/c can manage with a single gate.

The gate lounge area would get quite crowded if 4 decent sized a/c with full loads depart at similar times.

I was not impressed with the new extension. At the very least I would of thought they would of added more than 2 gates.


aaaaargh - repeat after me " I would have thought they would have added ''

Phew , now that I have that out of my system .... ( my apologies eoinnz - the whole "would of" thing is one of my pet peeves )

back on topic ... on the AIAL website


http://www.auckland-airport.co.nz/NewsHistory/press_releases.php?rid=314

To be A380 friendly, the pier's first gates, gate 15 and 16, are specially fitted with two New Zealand made Multi Aircraft Ramp System (MARS) airbridges able to disembark or load both levels of the aircraft simultaneously. It also provides the unique ability of being able to service two A380s or four smaller aircraft at the same time

seems to me to suggest that there will be additional gates later ? strange though , knowing AIALs habit of thinking of their business not so much as an airport , but rather a shopping mall where a/c happen to pull up from time to time I would have ;) thought that they would have taken the opportunity to cram a few more shops into the new extension

Yes - I think the MARS is supposed to work something like MEL's A380 gates (G9 and G11) and KUL's A and B pier gates whereby a small aircraft can park on (say) stand 16L (and be serviced by the second G16 bridge) and another small aircraft can park on stand 16R (and be serviced by the first G16 bridge).

The plan is to extend the terminal out past gate 16 to take in current stands 17 and 18, and eventually there will be aircraft parking on the 'other side' of the terminal - according to the AKL master plan at least.

Though given the length of the walk from departures processing, and the narrow corrugated iron type structure of the new pier, am I the only one in thinking that it bears an uncanny resemblance to the Victor pier at LHR T4?

Anyone know what a/c will park in the stand in the evenings?. My guess is couple of 744s for the evening departures to LAX/LHR.

I would have though they would have made the new pier a shopping mall with gates.

So these new MARS gates are made in NZ, does anyone have any idea who made them?

I was also wondering if there are any photos of the outside of this pier?

try the 2 right hand pictures in this gallery at AKL website (http://www.auckland-airport.co.nz/GreenPier/image_gallery.php)

So these new MARS gates are made in NZ, does anyone have any idea who made them?

I was also wondering if there are any photos of the outside of this pier?
I believe that the NZ company is Airport Equipment Ltd (http://www.airport-equipment.com/index.htm). I used to work in a building across the road from them. It was interesting seeing them construct the bridges and then test them, especially the Apron Drive ones.
There are lots of airports around Australasia that have their equipment, have a look upper left by the bridge controls when you next board, there usually is the catalogue plaque.
Airport Equipment Ltd is one of those quiet kiwi acheivers.:-:
Oh here is a nice photo of the A380 (QF sticker) with the airbridges attached.
Airport Equipment Ltd Uses Resene Paints On Their Airbridges (http://www.resene.co.nz/archspec/products/jetsetter.htm)
Oh no association with them whatsoever, just an admirer who walked past their building every working day for 6 months.^

I believe that the NZ company is Airport Equipment Ltd (http://www.airport-equipment.com/index.htm). I used to work in a building across the road from them. It was interesting seeing them construct the bridges and then test them, especially the Apron Drive ones.
There are lots of airports around Australasia that have their equipment, have a look upper left by the bridge controls when you next board, there usually is the catalogue plaque.
Airport Equipment Ltd is one of those quiet kiwi acheivers.:-:
Oh here is a nice photo of the A380 (QF sticker) with the airbridges attached.
Airport Equipment Ltd Uses Resene Paints On Their Airbridges (http://www.resene.co.nz/archspec/products/jetsetter.htm)
Oh no association with them whatsoever, just an admirer who walked past their building every working day for 6 months.^

Company actaully was JD McClennan engineering of lower hutt and they started a very small subsiduary co AEL to dabble in airport equipment , it grew and now they do jack all general engineering and have worked very hard to devlop this product line against large players. yep we should be proud of them.
I too have watched the airbridges grow in there front yard and also know a guy who shifts them , its is a really good story!