Wellington International Airport

Domestic ~60–75 minutes when quiet; international ~2–2.5 hours; nightly 01:30–03:00 closure.

Domestic cabin-bag passengers who already know the AX or kerbside drop can often work with about 60–75 minutes curb-to-gate when queues are calm. International still wants about 2–2.5 hours for check-in, security, and passport control — longer in school holidays and when the North-West pier is absorbing diverted domestic jets. The terminal closes 01:30–03:00 every night; do not plan to sleep airside through that window. Same-day domestic↔international always re-clears landside (no sterile walk).

One terminal; confirm pier and whether your North-West gate is in the 21–29 or 41–49 series.

Everything shares one landside hall. South pier = regionals; South-West = Air NZ domestic jets (Gates 13–17; Gate 17 still temporarily closed for post-fire repair as of Jul 2026 airport notice); North-West = Jetstar domestic jets plus all passport flights. When a North-West stand flips to international, the gate number becomes 41–49 — trust the boarding pass and FIDS, not yesterday’s domestic gate memory.

No PP walk-up; use Koru / Qantas if entitled, otherwise terminal cafés.

Priority Pass does not list any Wellington lounge. Without Koru / Qantas / partner entitlement you are in the public terminal. Landside cafés before centralised security are fine if you still need queue time; international airside is lounge-led for longer waits. Regional Koru is landside (before centralised security) — useful for turboprop banks, not a substitute for the closed Domestic jet lounge.

Domestic Koru still closed; Regional Koru open with restrictions; confirm Gate 17 and lounge SMS day-of.

A terminal fire on 12 Jun 2026 closed the southwest pier for weeks. Gates 13–16 reopened 7 Jul 2026; Gate 17 stayed temporarily closed for further repair. Air New Zealand’s Domestic Koru Lounge remains closed for smoke / water damage — Regional Koru is the overflow with reduced food, takeaway coffee options, and no Koru Silver eVoucher acceptance for now. Follow the Air NZ app / SMS the day you fly.