Tauranga City Council has responded to what they call "significant growth at the airport" by supporting plans to expand the terminal at no extra cost to ratepayers.

They also revealed plans to improve the front and back of house operations, increase terminal seating and boost future onsite security.

Expansion plans for Tauranga Airport were revealed by council this morning. Photo: File.

Elected members today agreed to bring forward and add to the 2016/17 capital expenditure projects in order to respond to the aforementioned growth.

Mayor Stuart Crosby says that the airport is an important connector and gateway to the city.

A masterplan for the airport's development was created in 2004 - a plan that has since been reviewed in 2009/10.

Tauranga Airport Manager, Ray Dumble, says the latest 2015/16 review is very timely, with current space limitations having an impact on passenger convenience.

According to Ray, passenger volumes have been rapidly increasing as a direct result of Air New Zealand providing more capacity and flight frequency through Tauranga.

The country's national airline also plan to add a further 600,000 seats to its regional network over the next 18 months.

It is also suggested that a perceived lack of space will limit opportunities for other regional commercial operators such as Jetstar and Kiwi Regional to operate from Tauranga Airport.

Council say the revised master plan clearly outlines the future potential of the airport and the improvements that need to be made. This will be presented to council in early 2016.

The revised plan will enable officials to take advantage of current and future growth opportunities and assist in providing improved customer experience and operational efficiency.

'All of this growth will have a positive impact on our revenue streams through the car park, landing fees and rental income,” says Ray.

'And with the globalisation of terrorism and the likely outcomes of the current domestic aviation security review taking place in New Zealand, it is very likely there will be further security enhancements required at regional airports in the coming years.”