Runway upgrades open Wellington to bigger planes

Runway upgrades open Wellington to bigger planes
Upgrades at Wellington Airport will allow bigger planes to land and take off. (Image: Mark Mitchell, NZME)
Staff reporters
More long-haul widebody planes will be able to operate at Wellington Airport after safety zone upgrades on its runway.As part of a $500m project, a new surface at the ends of the runway will allow aircraft such as Boeing 787 Dreamliners, 777s and Airbus A350s to take off and land.This will open the capital to non-stop flights to parts of Asia and flights by airlines using large planes from the Middle East via Australia with no weight constraints.New Airbus A350s are now available for airlines with specific modifications for Wellington, which me...