Route Ideas from Auckland International Airport (NZAA)

Rotorua runway sits on a volcanic plateau - steam vents and geothermal pools are visible on every approach.

Napier sits on Hawke Bay - approaches over the Pacific with vineyard plains stretching inland.

Wellington's approach crosses Cook Strait - wind-lashed, harbour-spanning, with the Rimutaka ranges ahead.

Nelson sits at the top of the South Island with Tasman Bay, the Abel Tasman coast, and the Richmond Ranges all in view.

Christchurch approaches over the Canterbury Plains with the Southern Alps forming the entire western horizon.

Queenstown's approach threads between the Remarkables and Cecil Peak - one of the most spectacular in the Southern Hemisphere.

Invercargill is the southernmost major city in New Zealand - Fiordland and Stewart Island are within easy reach.

Sydney approach on runway 16R passes over the Harbour Bridge and Opera House - the world's most iconic urban approach.

Hobart sits at the foot of Mount Wellington on the Derwent River estuary - Tasmania's wilderness begins at the runway.

Melbourne approaches cross Port Phillip Bay with the Dandenong Ranges and CBD in view.

Kona's runway is carved from black lava fields - the raw volcanic terrain of the Big Island stretches in every direction.

Honolulu's approach tracks over the Pacific with Diamond Head crater and Waikiki Beach off the wing.

Kahului on Maui sits between the West Maui Mountains and the 10,000 ft Haleakala summit.

Singapore Changi approaches over the Strait of Malacca with the city-state's skyline emerging from tropical haze.

Naha on Okinawa approaches over the Pacific - coral atolls and turquoise water stretch to the horizon.

Tokyo Haneda runway 34L approaches over Tokyo Bay with Mt Fuji on the horizon on clear days.

Kagoshima runway approaches with Sakurajima volcano actively erupting across the bay.

Osaka Kansai is built on an artificial island in Osaka Bay - every approach and departure is over open water.

Nagasaki approaches follow the hills into the harbour - a city that rises from the water on stepped terraces.

Niigata faces the Japan Sea - winter approaches arrive through the cloud wall that gives Niigata its famous grey skies.

Hong Kong approaches through Lei Yue Mun Pass with Victoria Harbour, Kowloon, and the South China Sea below.

Hakodate approaches from the Tsugaru Strait with Hakodate Mountain rising sharply from the harbour.

Sapporo Chitose serves Hokkaido with the Hidaka Mountains and Lake Shikotsu visible on approach.

Bangkok approaches over the Chao Phraya river delta with golden temple spires catching the light below.

Santiago approaches through the Mapocho corridor with the Andes wall rising to 22,000 ft just east of the runway.

Buenos Aires Ezeiza approaches over the Pampas - the flat estuary gives way to the Rio de la Plata at the threshold.

LAX approaches over Santa Monica Bay bring the Pacific coastline and LA basin panorama into full view.

SFO's runway 28L approach crosses the bay with the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco skyline to the north.

Seattle sits between the Puget Sound and the Cascades - Mt Rainier stands sentinel on every clear-day departure.

Boise sits on the Snake River plain with the Owyhee and Boise mountains framing every departure.

Vancouver approaches cross the Pacific delta with the Coast Mountains and Mt Baker flanking both sides.

Anchorage sits at the foot of the Chugach Mountains between Cook Inlet and Knik Arm - Denali is visible on clear days.

Salt Lake City sits between the Wasatch Range and the Great Salt Lake - both are unmistakable from altitude.

Nome overlooks the Bering Sea - the 1925 serum run ended here, and the Arctic wilderness begins at the runway.

Hailey's runway sits in a narrow Idaho mountain valley - crosswind landings are the rule, not the exception.

Telluride sits in a box canyon at 9,070 ft - the runway drops off into nothing on both ends.

Grand Junction sits at the junction of the Colorado and Gunnison rivers, surrounded by canyon country.

Liberia serves Costa Rica's dry Pacific coast - Rincon de la Vieja volcano looms beyond the runway.

Aspen's one-way approach curves through the Roaring Fork valley between 14,000 ft Colorado peaks.

Eagle County serves Vail - the approach through the Eagle River canyon at 6,500 ft elevation is high-altitude flying.

Cape Town approaches from the south with Table Mountain, Lion's Head, and the Cape Peninsula in full view.

Cranbrook sits in the Rocky Mountain Trench - the world's largest valley, with the Rockies and Purcells on each side.

Bozeman's approaches track the Gallatin Valley with the Bridger Range and Big Sky country spread out below.

Denver's RNAV arrivals from the west descend the Front Range with the entire Rocky Mountain spine visible.

Calgary sits 60 nm east of the Rockies - the full mountain wall dominates westbound approaches.

Rio de Janeiro approaches show Sugarloaf Mountain, Guanabara Bay, and Copacabana in one sweeping panorama.

Confins serves Belo Horizonte on the Brazilian Highlands plateau - the ironstone Serra do Cipo mountains ring the approach.

Kingston sits between the Blue Mountains and Kingston Harbour, the 7th largest natural harbour in the world.

Nassau approach over the Bahamas shows some of the clearest water in the world - the bottom is visible from 2,000 ft.

Bonaire's crystal-clear waters are visible from 10,000 ft - coral reefs are visible directly under the final approach path.

Punta Cana sits on the easternmost tip of the Caribbean - palm trees line the runway on both sides.

Piarco serves Port of Spain across the Gulf of Paria - the approach is flanked by the Northern Range.

San Juan's approach follows the coast past the colonial fortress of El Morro into the Caribbean bay.

Princess Juliana's runway threshold is 50 meters from Maho Beach - jet blast tourism is a local sport.

Barbados sits alone in the Atlantic - the turquoise water approach from the east is the definition of Caribbean.

St Barths requires crossing a hilltop at 100 ft and landing on a 650 m runway with the sea at both ends.

Dubai approaches reveal the Palm Jumeirah and the skyline rising from flat desert at the Arabian Gulf.

Svalbard runway ends at the fjord edge - polar bears outnumber cars, and Arctic light is perpetual in summer.

Jeddah approaches over the Red Sea coast with the corniche and the world's tallest fountain below.

Kirkenes sits near the Russian border in the far northeast, overlooking Bokfjorden in near-perpetual twilight.

Hammerfest sits at 70 degrees north - one of the world's northernmost towns, wrapped in Arctic light.

Alta is above the Arctic Circle with the aurora borealis visible on winter approaches.

Svolvaer in the Lofoten Islands has one of Norway's most spectacular approaches - jagged peaks rise straight from the sea.

Larnaca sits on the beach - the Salt Lake and the turquoise Sea of Cyprus are both visible from the runway.

Akureyri's approach follows Eyjafjordur - Iceland's longest fjord, with the Trollaskagi peninsula rising steeply.

Keflavik sits on a barren lava plain - Iceland's volcanic interior and the North Atlantic are visible in every direction.

Trondheim approach crosses Trondheimsfjorden - the longest fjord in central Norway.

Molde is the city of roses and fjords - the Romsdal peaks rise dramatically behind runway 25.

Bergen approach follows Byfjorden through layers of cloud, mist, and Norwegian rain.

Athens approaches over the Saronic Gulf with the Acropolis and ancient city visible below on short finals.

Stavanger sits where the North Sea oil fields begin and the fjord landscape of western Norway unfolds.

Wick sits at the far northeast of Scotland on the Caithness coast - the North Sea stretches to the horizon.

Edinburgh runway 24 approaches over the Firth of Forth with the castle and Arthur's Seat visible on short final.

Ljubljana sits in a basin ringed by the Julian Alps - one of Europe's least-explored scenic approaches.

On clear days the full chain of the Bavarian Alps is visible during approach to Munich.

Curved ILS approach between sheer cliff walls, the Austrian Alps filling every window on final.

Shannon approach follows the estuary - the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren are visible on westerly departures.

Heathrow's stacked approaches over suburban London are one of aviation's most recognised sights at dusk.

Swiss Alps crossing on approach with the Zurich highlands flanking both sides of the ILS.

Approaches to Rome Ciampino pass over the ancient Appian Way and the volcanic Castelli Romani hills.

Rome Fiumicino approaches over the Tiber delta with the Apennines and Castelli Romani hills as a backdrop.

Bergamo sits at the edge of the Lombard plains with the full Alpine arc as a backdrop.

A short valley runway nestled between Swiss peaks, with Lake Lugano gleaming below on approach.

Final approach to Bern follows the Aare river bend with the Bernese Oberland peaks behind.

The Valais valley runway sits at 1,580 ft surrounded by some of the highest peaks in Switzerland.

Tenerife South sits below the 12,000 ft Teide volcano - the highest peak in Spain rises through cloud on every departure.

Final approach tracks over the Ligurian Sea before threading between Ligurian hills into Genoa.

Turin's approach crosses the Po plain with the snow-capped Western Alps forming a dramatic backdrop.

Gateway to the Swiss Alps, with Mont Blanc dominating the horizon on clear-day departures.

Gran Canaria rises like a miniature continent from the Atlantic - the Roque Nublo massif dominates the interior.

Tunis Carthage sits on the Gulf of Tunis - the site of ancient Carthage and Roman North Africa.

Chambery sits at the gateway to the French Alps - ski season brings dense traffic through this valley runway.

Mediterranean beach to your left, French Alps to your right - one of Europe's most dramatic runway settings.

Fuerteventura's sand-dusted runway sits between the Atlantic and the Saharan desert - Africa is 100 km away.

Agadir overlooks the Atlantic at the foot of the Atlas Mountains - the Souss valley opens to the Sahara beyond.

Palma de Mallorca overlooks the Bay of Palma - the Mediterranean is a deep blue backdrop on every approach.

Ibiza runway approaches directly over the Mediterranean - Es Vedra rock rises from the sea ahead.