Auckland Airport’s international terminal transport system is set for the biggest change in its nearly 50-year history with the opening of the Transport Hub ground floor on Wednesday 3 April.

From 2am that morning, travellers heading for the international terminal will be the first to experience the brand-new facility when they pull up to more than 320m of new undercover kerbside drop off and pick up – a 200 per cent boost in space on what’s currently available out front of the terminal. Construction continues with parking levels above opening late-2024.

Replacing the old 1977 international terminal ground-level car park, the ground floor of the Transport Hub covers over 14,000m² with separate lanes for public and commercial traffic creating an efficient and modern arrival and departure experience for those using public transport and scheduled buses, being dropped off or picked up by friends and family, or being dropped off by taxis, rideshares and shuttles.

As per Isthmus “Laid across the east plaza, welcoming people on arrival, is a generous whāriki that reminds us that we are entering Māori whenua that is rich in history and whakapapa. It is a symbol of manaakitanga for Te Ākitai Waiohua and Te Ahiwaru Waiohua to welcome manuhiri into Tāmaki Makaurau and Aotearoa. The whāriki pattern has been developed from the two traditional patterns of Aramoana and Pātiki and is supported by six Turuturu, weaving pegs, vertical elements located at key points related to entry and exit and the conceptual corners of the whāriki”.