Terminal Development Project Update March 2026

Terminal Development Progress

The construction site has been a hive of activity in recent months, with contractors making use of the (mostly) good weather to roll out substantial work.

When we say substantial, we really mean it, with 807m³ of concrete poured – equivalent to 135 concrete trucks. There’s also been nearly 3,000m³ of metal backfill placed under and around the foundations, delivered in 288 truckloads, and 106 tonnes of reinforcing steel installed in the foundation beams.

A major milestone in recent weeks was the erection of the western end of the terminal’s CoreSteel roof structure. This has a total span of 42m and weighs 80,000kgs. Manufactured by the Donovan Group in Whangarei, it was transported to Palmerston North and erected by local engineering company Elite Engineering.

Construction has now shifted to installing the massive, laminated timber beams in what will become the new terminal’s check-in and departures area. These have been supplied by Levin-based Techlam NZ, as a part of our focus on working with local suppliers, manufacturers and subcontractors. Once these are in place, the timber structure will start to take shape.

While this work is underway, our temporary terminal remains in use, and we thank our visitors for their patience and understanding while navigating this new environment. We’re excited to see the first half of the new terminal open later this year, with the completed terminal due to be finished in late 2027. Once opened, the new terminal will address three core needs – providing seismic resilience, accommodating future growth in passenger numbers, and allowing for passenger and hold bag screening if required.