- 1935 – Christchurch City Council selected the present site at Harewood.
- 1936 227 hectares of land purchased.
- 1937 A 915 metre runway and a 60 square metre terminal constructed.
- 1950 Christchurch Airport became the first international airport operating in New Zealand.
- 1955 United States Antarctic Operations begin in Christchurch.
- 1962 The main runway was extended to 2,442 metres providing for commercial jet operations.
- 1984 Main runway extended by 845 metres to 3,287 metres.
- 2008 Christchurch International Airport Limited becomes the first airport company in the Southern Hemisphere to achieve carbon neutral status.
- It is now the second largest airport in New Zealand and the largest airport in the South Island, making it the gateway for travel and tourism with up to 6.93 million passengers travelling in and out of the airport each year.