The wooden hangar standing 35 metres high at Auckland Airport can house three passenger jets under a transparent roof and sway 30cm.
It is Hanger 4, Air New Zealand’s new ground addition to its maintenance base.
The new hanger recently opened at the airport, located in the coastal suburb of Mangere, and has an operational life of 50 years.
VIDEO: New wooden hanger open for business
The 10,000 square metre hanger is 98 metres wide and can fully enclose a large Boeing 787 Dreamliner (widebody) and two smaller Airbus A320/1s (narrow-body) aircraft backed up by an extra 5000 square metres of workshops shared with another hanger.
The timber has been sourced from Nelson, on the South Island, and from Wodonga, on the NSW-Victoria border.
Airline chief executive officer Greg Foran says Hangar 4 is “a state-of-the-art facility” that allows them to adapt to changing aircraft technology.
“This investment ensures we have fit-for-purpose, modern infrastructure for our engineers to service our fleet,” he says.
The official opening was attended by NZ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who was chief executive officer of the airline when Hangar 4 was first announced in 2019.
“Infrastructure like this is critical for New Zealand … it supports highly skilled jobs and is future-fit for new innovation and growth,” Luxon says.
Hangar 4 is targeting a 6 Green Star Rating and is the largest single-span timber arch hangar in the southern hemisphere, the airline says.
HANGER BUILD DETAILS
Timber was chosen for its lighter weight, sustainability and its performance in a coastal environment; the airport is built on the shores of Manukau Harbour, the airline says.
The hangar reportedly can move 300mm in extreme weather and the double-layered transparent roof will allow sunlight in and retain heat without a heating system; ceiling fans will circulate warm air in winter and cool air in summer.
Prefabricated trusses, each one weighing 38 tonnes, were built in 25-metre sections assembled on site and lifted into place using New Zealand’s largest crawler crane.
Underground service pits mean there is no need for surface cabling and the hanger will share workshops and tool stores with the adjacent Hangar 3.
OTHER AIR NZ NEWS: Kiwi carrier signs up to new Western Sydney airport
