Standoff over crowded Koru lounge
Air New Zealand is blaming Auckland Airport for ‘‘failing to provide clear direction and timelines’’ for the airline’s planned passenger lounge – an accusation rejected by the airport.
School holidays have added to the mayhem, with passengers distressed and angry at being diverted to the airport-owned Strata lounge because of the overcrowding in Air New Zealand’s Koru lounge.
But Auckland Airport said it told Air New Zealand two years ago that the Koru lounge built at that time was too small. The airline belatedly realised it needed more space about 12 months ago, an airport spokesman said.
Furthermore, Air New Zealand had swelled its Koru lounge market by offering entry passes as rewards for credit card spending, the airport spokesman said.
Passenger numbers have peaked well ahead of forecasts to 20.7 million people a year.
In a letter to stakeholders, Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon recently accused Auckland and other airports of ‘‘underinvestment’’.
However, airports at Auckland, Nelson, Christchurch, Queenstown and Wellington have recently completed or embarked on major upgrades of their terminals with lounge areas.
A month ago Luxon said the airline was planning a $60 million investment in its own lounges.
Its planned Auckland one will cater for up to 265 customers or three times the seating of the current regional lounge.
In addition to arranging for people to use Auckland Airport’s Strata lounge, Air New Zealand was working on options for a second lounge to meet demand.
The airline is also planning a Wellington domestic lounge refurbishment, increasing capacity by 10 per cent to 374.
At Tauranga, the airline has a new regional lounge under construction offering three times more seating.