Airport Gate Allocations

[chickenman]

I have a question. How are airport gates allocated? I'm looking to find out which gates Air New Zealand use and for which destinations? Does the same flight generally use the same gate? Is there a list of Air New Zealand Gates any where?

[Chairman]

I think they normally try keep an airline within a certain group of gates, but it can depend more on how long the plane is going to be staying and what the airline has planned for it while it's there - and while the information about who leaves from where is out there it can take a fair amount of sleuthy browsing to find it

For example ... Here's a chart of NZAA showing where the gates and parking spots are, and here is a list of which domestic gates are used by which airlines. I can't find an equivalent list for international, just this which says Aircraft Parking International Apron - Stand allocation — pre-arranged through Airport Company Apron Tower. Call APRON to confirm allocation.

Having said which, in all our international travels (Aus, Europe via US, Europe via Japan) the actual planes we've departed Auckland on have been Air NZ ones, and they have always departed from gates or apron parking spaces on the Western side of the finger.

Cheers
Gary

[Kelburn]

As far as I know the airline does assign the gates so that the flights can run without interruption. They are usually allocated slots at International gates whereas Domestic the airline usually owns them (in NZ).

I heard over the radio for NZWN:

"Air Nelson *** (can't remember the callsign), inbound to runway 34 for gate 14 arrival"

Giving me the indication that they are told (probably over AIRCAS -spelling?) where they will park.
With international they are given a slot but usually that slot is only at one gate because if that gate is unusable and the plane takes another gate then everything gets stuffed up.

[ZK-KAG]

The link planes in New Zealand are given gate allocation over company base frequencies while in the intial stages of decent. See the frequencies thread to hear these transmissions Same goes for the 737's, but on the Air NZ base frequency. As for international, not sure about other airports, but at Auckland it is up to the airport company to decide which gate is best for particular aircraft sizes, being a particular airline has little effect. This is why you no longer get a gate on your boarding pass at Auckland, as it may change if needed. At most other international airports, gates are usually allocated according to which airline alliance you belong too, and then it doesnt really matter which one you end up getting.

[pilotgallagher01]

That's right,

Also at smalller airports like Tauranga ,Sunair Aviation is in charge and once ATC have instructed them to taxi apron,They change to sunair freq where they get directed to where they want them parked,even though you can't really go wrong here.