N E S W
34 / 16
RWY 34/16
HDG
LEN 6,352 ft
Wellington International Airport

Runway 34 at NZWN

Runway 34/16 at Wellington International Airport (NZWN) in Wellington is a 6,352 ft, lighted, asphalt runway oriented 003°/183°. The runway is 148 ft wide, with a 210 ft displaced threshold on the 34 end. SkyMeter has observed 1,227 landings and 1,287 departures on this runway over the last 30 days, with approximately 0.1% of arrivals resulting in a go-around (1 events). Trace data shows an average final-approach slope of 2.9°, touchdowns averaging 686 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 98 kt, a 2.7 kt average crosswind component, a 10.3 kt average headwind.

Last 30 Days
2514 Operations
1287 Deps / 1227 Arrs

Runway 34/16 at Wellington International Airport (NZWN) in Wellington is a 6,352 ft, lighted, asphalt runway oriented 003°/183°. The runway is 148 ft wide, with a 210 ft displaced threshold on the 34 end. SkyMeter has observed 1,227 landings and 1,287 departures on this runway over the last 30 days, with approximately 0.1% of arrivals resulting in a go-around (1 events). Trace data shows an average final-approach slope of 2.9°, touchdowns averaging 686 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 98 kt, a 2.7 kt average crosswind component, a 10.3 kt average headwind.

Runway at a Glance

Arrival Volume

1,227 landings observed on Runway 34 in the last 30 days, alongside 1,287 departures.

Peak Hour

Busiest landing window observed at 21:00 with 11 arrivals on the recent sample.

Average Touchdown Zone

Aircraft touch down on average 686 ft from the threshold on Runway 34.

Prevailing Wind & Gust History

Over the past 365 days, winds at NZWN have prevailed from the north (0°), accounting for roughly 26% of windy observations. Average wind speed sits at 14.0 kt with peak gusts to 69 kt. Strong winds (≥20 kt) occur on about 20% of observations — pilots flying into runway 34 should plan for occasional gusty conditions.

Light Crosswind Component

Average crosswind on landing is 2.7 kt at touchdown, measured against runway 34 alignment.

Approach Slope

Final-approach slope averages 2.9° on Runway 34, consistent with the standard 3° glide path.

Landing Behavior and Touchdown Performance

The metrics below are computed from ADS-B trace data observed at Runway 34 over the last 30 days. Each value is shown only when at least 10 valid samples were available; sparse cells are hidden rather than estimated.

Avg approach slope
2.9°
Avg touchdown GS
98 kts
Avg touchdown zone
686 ft
Avg headwind
10.3 kt

Hourly Landing Distribution

04:00 7 landings
05:00 6 landings
06:00 6 landings
07:00 1 landings
08:00 1 landings
09:00 2 landings
10:00 2 landings
11:00 2 landings
13:00 1 landings
19:00 4 landings
20:00 3 landings
21:00 11 landings
22:00 4 landings

Recent observed landings on Runway 34 grouped by hour-of-day (UTC).

Go-Around Analysis

A go-around occurs when a pilot aborts a landing attempt and initiates a climb to return for another approach. While go-arounds are a normal safety procedure, their frequency and causes provide insight into operational challenges at specific runways. Runway 34 experienced go-arounds in 0.1% of arrivals over the last 30 days (1 events of 1228 attempts).

Recent Go-Around Events

fd40f395-572b-7a46-b5e0-886e59f4d6eb
2026-07-14 06:04
Other
fd40f395-572b-7a46-b5e0-886e59f4d6eb
2026-07-14 06:04
Other
fd40f395-572b-7a46-b5e0-886e59f4d6eb
2026-07-14 06:04
Other
fd40f395-572b-7a46-b5e0-886e59f4d6eb
2026-07-14 06:04
Other

These events represent normal safety procedures and do not indicate operational deficiencies.

Go-Around Causes Distribution

Other 4 events (100%)

Environmental factors dominate go-around causes, indicating that operational procedures remain sound.

Approach Types and Categories

Aircraft approach runways using different procedures based on weather conditions, visibility, and available navigation equipment. An Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach provides precision horizontal and vertical guidance using ground-based radio signals, enabling aircraft to land in low visibility conditions. Visual approaches require pilots to maintain visual contact with the runway and surrounding terrain, typically used during clear weather. Area Navigation (RNAV) approaches use GPS technology to guide aircraft along specific flight paths.

Approach Categories Explained

Category (CAT) classifications define minimum visibility and decision height requirements for instrument approaches. Higher categories enable operations in lower visibility conditions.

CAT I
Decision Height: 200 ft
Visibility: 550m
CAT II
Decision Height: 100 ft
Visibility: 300m
CAT III
Decision Height: 0-50 ft
Visibility: 0-200m
Visual
Clear of Clouds
Visibility: 5 km

Wind and Environmental Factors

Wind conditions directly impact runway operations, influencing approach difficulty, landing performance, and runway selection. Runway 34 benefits from favorable wind alignment, with prevailing winds creating minimal crosswind components for most operations. Average wind speeds of 12 knots pose no operational constraints for commercial aircraft.

24-Hour Wind Pattern

04:00
110° at 16 kts, gusting 0 kts
16 kts
05:00
15° at 16 kts, gusting 26 kts
16 kts
06:00
18° at 16 kts, gusting 0 kts
16 kts
07:00
20° at 16 kts, gusting 0 kts
16 kts
08:00
10° at 17 kts, gusting 0 kts
17 kts
09:00
20° at 15 kts, gusting 0 kts
15 kts
10:00
25° at 14 kts, gusting 0 kts
14 kts
11:00
25° at 12 kts, gusting 0 kts
12 kts
13:00
30° at 9 kts, gusting 0 kts
9 kts
19:00
98° at 8 kts, gusting 0 kts
8 kts
20:00
127° at 8 kts, gusting 0 kts
8 kts
21:00
346° at 6 kts, gusting 0 kts
6 kts
22:00
258° at 7 kts, gusting 0 kts
7 kts
METAR
200° at 23 kts, gusting 0 kts
23 kts

Wind patterns show typical diurnal variation with stronger winds during midday hours.

Average Speed
12 kts
Peak Gust
18 kts
Prevailing Direction
Avg Crosswind
8 kts

Related Pages

About This Data

This analysis covers 2514 operations recorded over the past 30 days, derived from global ADS-B flight broadcasts. Coverage may be incomplete in areas with limited ground-station reception, and statistics may vary with weather and traffic volume.