Wellington Airport Curfew

Wellington Airport's Noise Management Plan requires aircraft operations (take-off and landing) observe a curfew and must not occur during the following hours:

• Domestic Operations: From 12am midnight to 6am
• International Departures: From 12am midnight to 6am
• International Arrivals: From 1am to 6am

Exceptions to the Curfew

Operations are permitted for an additional 30 minutes if a flight is delayed on arrival or departure at Wellington through unforeseen circumstances.

The start time of the curfew is also extended by 60 minutes during statutory holiday periods.

Statutory Periods:

• The period from 25 December to 2 January, inclusive. Where 25 December falls on either a Sunday or Monday, the period includes the entire of the previous weekend. Where 1 January falls on a weekend, the period includes the two subsequent working days. Where 2 January falls on a Friday, the period includes the following weekend.
• The Saturday, Sunday and Monday of Wellington Anniversary weekend, Kings Birthday Weekend, and Labour Weekend.
• Good Friday to Easter Monday inclusive.
• Matariki Day.
• Waitangi Day.
• ANZAC Day.
• Any other day decreed as a national statutory holiday.
• Where Matariki Day, Waitangi Day or ANZAC Day falls (or is recognised) on a Friday or a Monday, the adjacent weekend is included in the statutory holiday period.
• The hours from midnight to 6am immediately following the expiry of each statutory holiday period defined above.

In addition, the curfew does not apply in the following circumstances:

• Aircraft landing in an emergency, or for emergency medical flights.
• Unscheduled flights to meet the needs of a declared Civil Defence emergency.
• Aircraft using Wellington as a planned alternate to landing at a scheduled airport (such aircraft cannot take off until otherwise permitted under the curfew rule).
• Aircraft carrying Heads of State or senior dignitaries.

Find out more about how we manage airport noise.