Passenger numbers at resort airport show rise of 17%

QUEENSTOWN Airport’s total passenger numbers continue to soar, up 17.1% in May to 119,231.

Auckland Airport yesterday released its latest traffic update. The company said its total international passenger numbers, excluding transits, grew by more than 10% to 729,949 in May, compared with May last year.

In Queenstown, the increase was driven by strong Tasman traffic, up 13.3%, and an 18.1% growth in domestic passengers.

Total international aircraft movements in May were up 13.9% to 180 in May from the previous corresponding period.

Total domestic aircraft movements were up 24.9% to 752 on the pcp.

Domestic passenger growth was driven in part by a 26.7% increase in seat capacity on the AucklandQueenstown route following the addition of two more daily Air New Zealand A320 flights, and the firstyear anniversary of afterdark services at the airport.

The company said its own international passenger growth was achieved across all regions. The Americas were up 21.7%, AsiaMiddle East was up 18.6%, Pacific up 12.5% and Tasman up 2.9%.

Domestic traffic, up 7%, also performed well in May, contri buting to overall passenger growth of 8.4%.

Australian visitor arrivals to Auckland Airport were up 11.8% in May, compared with May last year, stimulated by an increase in transtasman capacity from Australian home carriers Qantas (up 3.8%) and Virgin Australia (up 15.2%).

To support the capacity growth yearround, the airport company was partnering with agencies to promote the North Island’s yearround appeal to a wider Australian market through its snow and geothermal and volcanic features.

Sixtyseven percent of Australian visitors to New Zealand in May arrived through Auckland Airport, the company said.

Auckland Airport’s Japanese visitor arrivals were down 7.4% in May, compared with last year, and in contrast to the 8.2% growth experienced in the year to date.

Japanese visitors were affected by a seasonal capacity reduction on China Southern’s Guangzhou-Auckland service. The service provided an alternative onestop connection between Japan and New Zealand.

The July launch of Air NZ’s new three times a week B777200 TokyoAuckland service from Haneda Airport should help to alleviate the Japan capacity constraint, the company said.