Christchurch International Airport (NZCH · CHC) METAR & TAF
Live METAR, TAF & runway wind for Christchurch International Airport.
Get the current NZCH (CHC) weather for Christchurch International Airport in Christchurch, New Zealand. The decoder below pulls the live METAR and TAF, breaks them into plain language, and uses the published runway headings to show which runway end is best lined up with the reported wind. It is the same operational weather language tested across the EASA ATPL Meteorology and Flight Planning syllabus.
Other major airports in Oceania with live SkyStudy weather pages include Nadi (NAN), Papeete (PPT) and Sydney (SYD).
Studying for the EASA ATPL? Practice Meteorology questions free.
Christchurch International Airport airport facts
- ICAO code
- NZCH
- IATA code
- CHC
- Location
- Christchurch, New Zealand
- Elevation
- 123 ft
- Runways
- 3
- Coordinates
- -43.489, 172.532
- Timezone
- Pacific/Auckland
Christchurch International Airport runways
Christchurch International Airport has 3 published runways (01/19, 02/20, 11/29). The longest runway, 02/20, is about 10,787 ft (3,288 m) long. SkyStudy uses these runway headings with the live METAR wind to show the best-aligned runway end.
| Runway | Length | Surface | Headings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01/19 | 1,690 ft | GRS | 01 (38°) / 19 (218°) |
| 02/20 | 10,787 ft | ASP | 02 (41°) / 20 (221°) |
| 11/29 | 5,587 ft | BIT | 11 (131°) / 29 (311°) |
Want to work a runway scenario by hand? Open the wind component calculator to get headwind, crosswind, and the gust case for any heading.
How to read the NZCH METAR
A METAR always follows the same order, so once you know the pattern you can read any station, including NZCH, at a glance:
- Station & time, the ICAO code (NZCH) and the observation time in UTC (Zulu).
- Wind, direction in degrees true and speed in knots, with gusts after a G. This is what SkyStudy matches against the Christchurch International Airport runways above.
- Visibility & weather: prevailing visibility, then any precipitation or obscuration codes.
- Cloud, cover and base in hundreds of feet AGL (FEW, SCT, BKN, OVC).
- Temperature / dewpoint and the altimeter setting close out the report.
This is the same operational weather language tested across EASA ATPL Meteorology and Flight Planning. Prefer a guided walkthrough? Use the full METAR & TAF decoder.
NZCH weather, frequently asked questions
What is the ICAO code for Christchurch International Airport?
The ICAO code for Christchurch International Airport in Christchurch, New Zealand is NZCH, and its IATA code is CHC. Pilots use the ICAO code NZCH to request the METAR and TAF for this airport.
How do I read the NZCH METAR?
Read the NZCH METAR in order: station and time, then wind (direction in degrees true and speed in knots), visibility, weather and cloud, temperature and dewpoint, and finally the altimeter setting. The decoder above turns the raw NZCH METAR into this plain-language order automatically.
Where does the NZCH weather data come from?
The live METAR and TAF are pulled from the public NOAA Aviation Weather Center feed, the same authoritative source used in flight planning, and refreshed every few minutes. SkyStudy then layers its runway and wind logic on top.
How many runways does Christchurch International Airport have?
Christchurch International Airport has 3 published runways (01/19, 02/20, 11/29). SkyStudy combines these runway headings with the live NZCH wind to show which runway end is best aligned right now.
Is the NZCH METAR and TAF decoder free?
Yes. SkyStudy publishes this NZCH weather page as a free tool. If you are studying for EASA ATPL exams, the same METAR and TAF language appears in Meteorology, Flight Planning, and Operational Procedures, and SkyStudy turns it into practice questions and mock exams.
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