Christchurch firm to build new check-in terminal in Auckland Airport's $3.9b transformation
Thursday, 5 March 2026
Christchurch infrastructure building firm Southbase has won the contract to build Auckland Airport’s new integrated check-in terminal as part of the airport’s multi-year $3.9 billion redevelopment project.
In 2023 the airport announced it would combine its domestic and international terminals at a cost of about $2.2b, and said it would be the biggest upgrade of the check-in area since the 1970s.
Construction of the new $800m domestic jet terminal is well under way with about 1500 people working on site, and work on the international terminal upgrade is due to start in the first part of this year.
On Thursday, Auckland Airport confirmed that Southbase would be taking on the upgrade of the airport’s existing check-in facilities in a project that would run until the second half of 2028.
Read more:
But there will be no closures for the build as the project will take place in a “live” environment with the airport continuing to operate.
Southbase North Island manager Marcus Beddis said the company was honoured to have been selected to carry out what would be a “once in a life-time project”.
“Not only is it a significant project for the Auckland region, but it marks a milestone for the airport, and regenerating the terminal while it remains open is a unique challenge for us.”
The company was confident the skills and experience it had gained from working on large and complex infrastructure projects for the Ministry of Education, Health NZ and universities would translate to the airport job, he said.
“With Auckland Airport, the idea is that to a certain extent you will not know the work is going on to ensure the customer experience is preserved.
“So customer safety and experience will be first and foremost, along with delivering customer facilities, and there will be lots of night work and monitoring of dust, noise and so on.”
There were also considerations around things like customer traffic at peak times and how that works with the build work, lines of sight for people walking into the terminal, and minimum widths for trolleys, Beddis said.
“That makes it a whole new world, but we have built our reputation off doing work that is technically challenging in a live environment. It’s our bread and butter.
“And our digital focus whereby we design and build virtually before starting on the physical build helps us tease out any issues or risks early in the process to make sure the delivery is seamless.”
The work would include creating new amenities, installing new lifts and escalators, refurbishing and transforming the existing concourse and check-in zones, and introducing self-service check-in kiosks and automated bag drops.
It would also involve work on the terminal’s back of house areas to accommodate the airport’s new baggage handling system and the upgrade of common areas to refresh the working environment for airport staff.
Beddis said work on the project was under way, and the company had completed a transitional satellite check-in building, attached to the Transport Hub, which allowed them to get started on back of house work.
The company had its core project team in place, but would be expanding its workforce, and expected to have about 350 workers on site daily at the peak, he said.
“More broadly, I’d expect more than 1000 people to be employed on the broader project as subcontractors, and we’ll be partnering with local suppliers to deliver a terminal that sets a new benchmark for travel in New Zealand.”
Auckland Airport chief executive Carrie Hurihanganui said the appointment of Southbase was an important step in progressing the airport’s upgraded check-in experience.
“This project is about making check-in easier and more efficient for travellers, while giving us the space and flexibility we need as travel demand grows.”
Partnering with experienced New Zealand contractors was a critical part of delivering the work safely and carefully in a live airport environment, she said.
Southbase was founded in 2013 as part of the recovery effort following the Canterbury earthquakes, and has grown to become one of the country’s biggest infrastructure building companies.
It was ranked as New Zealand’s fourth biggest builder in the 2025 Construction League report produced by BCI Central and Hubexo, with 19 projects and $575.9m worth of work, and now has a staff headcount of about 200.
The company works with organisations such as Health NZ, the Ministry of Primary Industries, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Education.
Some of its recent projects include the Dunedin Hospital Outpatients Building, the One NZ Stadium in Christchurch, the Takanini Data Centre and the Papakura Courthouse.