NZA Simulations has recently released their rendition of Christchurch International Airport (NZCH) for Microsoft Flight Simulator, the third busiest airport in New Zealand with a yearly average of 6 million passengers.

Opened in 1940 as RNZAF Station Harewood (the airport is located in Harewood, a suburb of Christchurch), it got its first bits of infrastructure around six years later, with the construction of a passenger terminal and hangars. The clearance for international operations came in 1950, making it New Zealand’s first international airport.

It’s the hub for Air New Zealand, with a significant domestic network covering most relevant cities within the country, including Auckland, Dunedin, Hamilton, Hokitika, Invercargill, Napier, Nelson, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Queenstown, Rotorua, Tauranga, and Wellington. The coverage also extends to Australia, with Brisbane, Gold Coast, Melbourne, and Sydney. The visitors’ list includes Cathay Pacific (returning in November 2023), Emirates (returning in March 2023), Fiji Airways, Jetstar Airways, Qantas, and Singapore Airlines. In total, there are 18 domestic and 11 international destinations, with 1057 weekly flights as of 2015.

The scenery features a high-quality rendition of the airport, with full 3D custom modeling including the surrounding business parks (roughly 300 in total), the runways and apron are built with PBR materials, realistic ground markings, realistic roads, high resolution aerial imagery, terra-formed runway, parking positions setup with correct airline codes, interiors for the main terminal, custom jetway sounds, animated jetways (custom for each gate, matching real life), animated 3D people, animated custom AI vehicles around the airport, and a working surveillance radar.

It’s available on the NZA Simulations Shop or OrbxDirect for $25.46/$25.38, respectively. At least 4.27 GB of free disk space is required to install the product.

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