Curious about what is crossing the sky above Auckland, Wellington or the Southern Alps? This New Zealand flight radar lets you follow live flights over both islands, from trans-Tasman jets to domestic hops between the regions. Pick any aircraft to check its route, airline, altitude and speed. The map is free, loads straight in your browser on a laptop or phone, and asks for no app or login.
On this page
Getting the radar running
- Click Start Flight Radar above. After a short rewarded ad, the live map appears.
- Scroll or pinch to zoom, then drag the map until New Zealand fills the screen.
- Tap a plane to open its details and the line it has flown.
For tips on searching by flight number or airport, read our how-to guide for flight radar.
New Zealand flight radar: key airports
New Zealand's airports are compact, so you can follow most arrivals from the coast to the runway:
| Airport | IATA | What makes it interesting |
|---|---|---|
| Auckland | AKL | The country's busiest airport and its main long-haul hub, with routes stretching across the Pacific. |
| Wellington | WLG | Known for strong winds, which makes the capital's airport a favourite with spotters on blustery days. |
| Christchurch | CHC | The South Island's main airport, with links right around the country. |
| Queenstown | ZQN | Famous for a spectacular approach between mountains, threading down towards Lake Wakatipu. |
| Dunedin | DUD | Serves Otago and the lower South Island. |
| Rotorua | ROT | A regional airport in the geothermal heart of the North Island. |
Kiwi aircraft are registered with the prefix ZK-. Air New Zealand flight numbers begin with NZ, while Jetstar (JQ) and Qantas (QF) also operate domestic and trans-Tasman services.
Mountains, sea and signal gaps
Airways New Zealand handles air traffic control, but the live map here is built from a separate network of hobbyist receivers. Their reach depends on line of sight.
- Mountains: at cruising height, aircraft over the Southern Alps are picked up easily. Down low, in valleys or descending into Queenstown, a ridge can block the signal and the icon may freeze or vanish for a while.
- Open water: coastal antennas reach only part of the way across the Tasman Sea and the Pacific. Further out, satellite data and estimated positions keep long-haul and trans-Tasman flights on screen.
- Remote areas: sparsely populated regions such as Fiordland tend to have fewer receivers, so low traffic there appears patchily.
A missing plane is almost always a coverage issue, not a problem with the aircraft.
Which aircraft is above me right now?
Spotted a jet over the Hauraki Gulf or a contrail stretching across Canterbury? Here is how to identify it:
- Open the radar and zoom in on your town or neighbourhood.
- Note which way the aircraft is heading and find the icon travelling the same way.
- Tap it for the type, operator, departure point and destination.
Aircraft passing high overhead are often long-haul or trans-Tasman flights in cruise. Low ones near Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch are usually climbing out or landing. Nothing showing? It could be a military flight, a helicopter or an aircraft too low for nearby receivers.
Following a flight to the arrivals hall
Meeting family off a flight from Sydney? Trans-Tasman flights take roughly three hours, so check the map before leaving home.
- Locate the flight with the number from the booking, or follow the route and click the right aircraft.
- Leave on cue: head off once it has crossed the Tasman and started down, not when the timetable says.
- Allow for the airport: international passengers still pass through customs and biosecurity after landing.
- Spot delays early: if your own aircraft has not yet arrived from its last trip, expect your departure to slip.
Treat the airline's notifications and the airport's arrival boards as the final word.
The technology behind a flight tracker
The word "radar" is a bit of a misnomer. Live flight tracking mostly relies on ADS-B: the aircraft works out its own position by GPS and transmits it on 1090 MHz several times a second, along with its height, speed and identity code. Volunteers with small antennas feed these signals into tracking networks.
For aircraft whose transponders send no position, MLAT (multilateration) compares how long one signal takes to reach different receivers. It only works when a minimum of four of them pick it up. Out over the ocean, beyond any ground station, satellites and calculated estimates fill in the track.
Comparing the main apps? Read our guides to Flightradar24 and RadarBox, now called AirNav Radar.
Flight data terms in plain English
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Flight number | Airline code plus digits, for instance NZ for Air New Zealand followed by the route number. |
| Altitude | Given in feet. 35,000 feet is around 10,700 metres, or just under 11 km. |
| Ground speed | Given in knots, measured relative to the ground. 500 knots equals about 926 km/h. |
| Squawk | A four-digit transponder code. 7700 means emergency; 7600 means the radio has failed. |
| Registration | The aircraft's unique tail code, starting with ZK- for New Zealand. |
Have a broader question? Browse the general FAQ.
New Zealand flight radar questions
Do I need to pay or sign up to use the radar?
No. A short ad plays before the map opens, and that is all. You don't need an account or an app, and it runs on phones, tablets and computers.
Why did a plane vanish near Queenstown?
The surrounding mountains block radio signals at low altitude. Once the aircraft climbs again or comes back into a receiver's line of sight, it reappears.
Can I watch a trans-Tasman flight the whole way?
Usually, yes. Near both coastlines, ground stations pick it up. Over the middle of the Tasman Sea, satellite data or estimates take over, so updates may be less frequent.
How do I know if an aircraft is from New Zealand?
Open its details and look at the registration. Aircraft on the New Zealand register start with ZK-.
Who controls the airspace over New Zealand?
Airways New Zealand provides air traffic control. This tracker is for interest and planning only.
Can I track flights to the Pacific Islands and beyond?
Yes. Long-haul flights across the Pacific are followed by ground receivers near land and by satellite data or estimates further out.