What it’s like flying international from Hamilton Airport

Thursday, 19 June 2025

The etched glass doors with a beautiful border of blue, red and yellow and Māori designs welcome me to the departures area at Hamilton Airport to board Jetstar’s inaugural flight to the Gold Coast on Wednesday.

The flight sees the return of one of Gold Coast Airport’s (OOL) most historic routes, which was originally launched more than 30 years ago, as OOL’s first international route.

To get ready for the flights, Hamilton Airport (HLZ) has had an upgrade over the last six months, including new aviation security, customs, biosecurity and immigration, duty-free shopping, an area to relax in before flights, a café and a lounge.

Here’s what it’s like to get an international flight from HLZ, 13 years after the last one took off.

Parking

To accommodate the extra passengers and staff, an additional 300 car parks have been added for either short-term or long-term parking.

Mark Morgan, chief executive of Waikato Regional Airport, told Stuff Travel that the furthest car park was “probably no more than about 200 metres walk”.

He’s not wrong. I’m not sure I’ve ever parked so close to the door in long-term parking. A short path leads me to the main door.

Check in

You can’t miss the big orange Jetstar signs behind the desks to check in. There was a bit of a queue, but it moved quickly. I was checked in with my bag on its way to the plane, in about 10 minutes.

Security

I arrive three hours before my 12.25pm flight, but the security does not open until just before 10.30am so I wait in the upstairs cafe and seating area used by both domestic and international passengers.

Once the doors open, a line weaves to the x-ray machine where you can leave laptops and liquids in your bag. A walk through the body scanners and then passports and boarding passes scanned by a smiling Customs officer - an experience becoming less common as airports become more automated. There are no smart gates here.

Then it's about five steps to the duty-free shop where they have samples of chocolate and rose to try.

The gate lounge

Only a few more steps and you’ll pass by the newly-opened Jet Fuel cafe, where you can get savouries, toasties, paninis, fruit salad and sweet treats. The gate is a real hubbub of noise as everyone chats ahead of the flight and has coffee.

There are plenty of seats, some more couch style, others your classic plastic airport seats, as well as cafe seating and high benches. I choose a comfy couch that has a power point, USB charging and a small table for my laptop and coffee.

Windows wrap around the front and right of the building, allowing you to watch the planes take off and land. I can even see my car in the car park (it’s that close, remember).

The verdict

Hamilton Airport is stress-free and easy to navigate for an international flight. The Australian holiday starts here.

Fact file

Jetstar offer four return flights per week between Hamilton and Sydney and three return flights per week between Hamilton and the Gold Coast.