NZ Airports Hui 2026

Welcome to Wellington

Fit for the future – our 20^th year

Aviation keeps proving its own indispensability. Global passenger numbers continue to climb. New routes open. Freight networks stretch further. Even in the face of disruption – pandemic, fuel shocks, geopolitical turbulence – people find their way back to the sky.

New Zealand has always had to work harder for its connectivity than most. We are far from everything, which means our airports and airlines aren’t nice-to-haves – they are economic lifelines and community anchors. The question this Hui asks is a direct one: how do we secure the connectivity our country deserves and our communities need? What’s holding us back, and what does it look like when airport, aviation and other infrastructure partners are genuinely working together?

Those are the conversations I’m looking forward to in Wellington this year. We are assembling our strongest programme yet – major speakers, panels, workshops, breakout sessions, Women in Airports and Infrastructure, and a trade show that, if past years are any guide, will once again sell out.

This is our 20th year as an association. That is not a moment to look inward, but to be ambitious about what the next chapter looks like. Fit for the future is both a theme and a challenge. We intend to take it seriously.

Whether you are an airport member, an industry partner, a government colleague, or someone new to our community who wants to understand what makes this sector tick – you are welcome here. This is the Hui. I hope you feel it the moment you walk in.

Matt