Tauranga Airport
Jean Batten Drive, Mt Maunganui,
Tauranga
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Tauranga Airport is a regional airport 2NM to the north east of Tauranga city in the Bay of Plenty on the North Island of New Zealand.Scheduled flights are operated by Eagle Airways, Air Nelson and Mount Cook Airlines divisions of Air New Zealand, using Raytheon Beechcraft 1900D, De Havilland Dash 8 Q-300 and ATR-72 aircraft respectively.Tauranga airport is the fifth busiest airport in New Zealand in terms of aircraft movements, with 86,935 movements during 2010. This places it just behind Hamilton airport.A number of small charter and training operations are also based here along with maintenance providers, Tauranga Aero Club and Bayflight Aviation. The popular Classic Flyers Museum and cafe is also based at the Airport. There are also small Tandem skydiving and Gliding operations based here.Tauranga Airport is the current location for the Sportavex biennial fly-in and airshow.HistoryTauranga Airport was acquired by the NZ Government from the traditional Maori land owners during World War 2 for defensive purposes. However, the Government failed to return it to them at the conclusion of the war, as it had also done in Raglan. The site provided an important link to burial grounds. Ownership has being contested by the traditional owners with the Waitangi Tribunal.