3/ 5 reviews
Terminal & facilities
“Modern well appointed airport situated handy to Gisborne City.”
Trevor Mills5★ on Google
Airports / New Zealand / GIS
Medium airport · GIS
Gisborne Airport.
Gisborne, New Zealand · 15 ft elevation. A private-aviation gateway on the Bravo register.
4.5/5
Google rating
294 ratings
0
Operators based
15
Elevation ft
Scheduled service
Gisborne, New ZealandELEV 15 FTMedium airportScheduled service
4.5
Google rating
294
Google reviews
ratings on Google
15
Field elevation
feet above sea level
34
Nearest alternate
nm to WIR
Field standing
34 nm
To the nearest alternate
Wairoa Airport (WIR).
Overview
Gisborne Airport (NZGS / GIS) is a mid-sized airport serving Gisborne, New Zealand. Field elevation is 15 feet above sea level. Scheduled carriers operate here, and the field also sees regular private and charter activity.
While no charter operators list GIS as their home base, the field is reachable for repositioned charter aircraft from nearby bases. The closest alternate fields are Wairoa Airport (WIR, 34 nm), Whakatāne Airport (WHK, 67 nm), and Hawke's Bay Airport (NPE, 71 nm). The field has 4 runways, the longest 4,298-foot paved runway, long enough for charter aircraft up to light jets.
Trip costs from GIS are driven by the aircraft category flown and how far it must reposition. Browse operators flying from the area or estimate a trip cost from GIS to plan your flight.
Run an FBO at NZGS? Become the preferred FBO
What fliers highlight.
From the stored review texts
2/ 5 reviews
Staff & service
“Very clean and tidy, food and coffee was excellent, Staff are very helpful and knowledgeable”
Thiswilldo5★ on Google
Themes counted by keyword across Google review texts for Gisborne Airport, every quote is verbatim from a real review.
Field capability
ICAO
NZGS
IATA
GIS
FAA / Local
NZGS
Elevation
15 ft
Coordinates
38.6633° S · 177.9780° E
Airspace
G · GolfClass G, GolfUncontrolled field, no tower. Pilots self-announce and sequence themselves on the common traffic advisory frequency.Source: FAA NASR class airspace
Size
Medium
Scheduled svc
Yes
Elevation vs New Zealand fields
state range 4–2,153 ft
At 15 ft, GIS sits lower than 84% of the 38 New Zealand fields on the register.
Runways & aircraft access
4 runways
longest 4,298 ft
- 14R/32L4,298 ft × 148 ftAsphaltLighted
- 09/273,839 ft × 197 ftGrass / turfUnlit
- 03/213,773 ft × 197 ftGrass / turfUnlit
- 14L/32R2,503 ft × 197 ftGrass / turfUnlit
- 14/32unknownOtherUnlit
Which aircraft can operate here
vs longest paved runway 4,298 ft
GIS's 4,298 ft paved runway typically supports charter aircraft up to light jets.
- Turboprop3,000 ft
- Light Jet3,500 ft
- Midsize Jet4,500 ft
- Super-Midsize Jet5,000 ft
- Heavy Jet5,500 ft
- VIP Airliner6,000 ft
Class minimums are sea-level planning rules of thumb. A specific aircraft's balanced-field length varies with weight, temperature, and field elevation. Confirm performance with the operator.
Access & alternates
Closest alternate fields by great-circle distance, every listing links to its own field brief.
- 34nmWIRWairoa AirportWairoa
- 67nmWHKWhakatāne AirportWhakatāne
- 71nmNPEHawke's Bay AirportNapier
- 85nmROTRotorua Regional AirportRotorua
- 89nmTUOTaupo AirportTaupo
- 103nmTRGTauranga AirportTauranga
Location
Open the full mapNZGS · Gisborne Airport · Gisborne, New Zealand
Flight times from here
Approximate nonstop block times from GIS on a typical midsize charter jet. Faster classes trim these; add positioning and taxi for the real schedule.
| Destination | Distance | Block time |
|---|---|---|
| Honolulu (HNL) | 3,848 nm | 9h 21m |
| Los Angeles (VNY) | 5,622 nm | 13h 28m |
| San Francisco (SFO) | 5,641 nm | 13h 31m |
| Las Vegas (LAS) | 5,818 nm | 13h 56m |
| Scottsdale (SCF) | 5,834 nm | 13h 58m |
| Seattle (SEA) | 6,075 nm | 14h 32m |
| Salt Lake City (SLC) | 6,119 nm | 14h 38m |
| Anchorage (ANC) | 6,196 nm | 14h 49m |
Common questions
- What size private jets can use GIS?
- Gisborne Airport's longest paved runway is 4,298 ft, which typically supports charter aircraft up to light jets. Lighter classes (turboprops, light and midsize jets) operate comfortably; confirm exact performance for a specific tail with the operator, since balanced-field length shifts with weight, temperature, and elevation.
- What is the longest runway at GIS?
- Gisborne Airport has 4 runways; the longest measures 4,298 ft on a paved surface and is lit for night operations.
- What is the nearest major airport to GIS?
- The closest alternate is Wairoa Airport (WIR), about 34 nm away, followed by Whakatāne Airport (WHK) at 67 nm. Operators often position aircraft between these fields depending on ramp space and availability.
- How long is a flight from GIS to major cities?
- Typical block times on a midsize jet: Honolulu about 9h 21m (3,848 nm), Los Angeles about 13h 28m (5,622 nm), San Francisco about 13h 31m (5,641 nm). Faster classes trim these times; add positioning and taxi for the real schedule.