Wellington Airport is gearing up for a busy summer period with nearly half a million travellers expected over the next four weeks. The busiest single day will be Thursday 18 December with around 18,000 travellers expected. In total, 440,000 seats will be operated between 15 December and 11 January. This is made up of 350,000 domestic seats and 90,000 international. The most popular domestic destinations from Wellington are Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown and Nelson. Sydney is the most popular international destination from Wellington with a 24% increase in capacity from the same time last year. Gold Coast is also popular with Jetstar increasing their flights from three to five per week over the holiday period.
Wellington Airport’s Head of Operations Matthew Palliser has advice for travellers: “We recommend checking in online before leaving home if you can, and get here early to allow plenty of time to drop off your bags and go through security. When packing for your trip, power banks and spare lithium batteries need to be in carry-on luggage only. Once you get here, you can try Parrotdog’s Wellington Airport lager – only available on tap at our new multi-level venue Good Day. While enjoying that you’re likely to see Air New Zealand’s first-ever electric aircraft on the tarmac. We’re proud to be the most Christmassy airport in the country with over 65 individually decorated Christmas trees raising funds for cystic fibrosis. We’ve also got live music and Christmas carol singing. For younger kids our Kidzone play area is now open in the southwest pier, past domestic security.”
Air New Zealand preps for summer operations
Air New Zealand is getting ready for its busy summer season, with more than 2.7 million New Zealanders and international visitors taking to the skies. The holiday season is a particularly special time across the airline’s network as teams work around the clock to connect friends and whānau across Aotearoa and the world.
Air New Zealand General Manager Airports Kate Boyer says: “We’re proud to be part of the journeys that connect people over the holidays and our teams work incredibly hard to ensure every customer’s experience is smooth, enjoyable and a great example of Kiwi hospitality.”
Around 1.6 million passengers will be travelling domestically around New Zealand, with the South Island claiming three of the most popular holiday hotspots. “Queenstown will see 260,000 customers travel to and from the region while Nelson is gearing up for 150,000 customers, and Dunedin 110,000. Napier and the Bay of Plenty are also in hot demand this summer,” Boyer says.
The busiest day for domestic travel is Friday 19 December with up to 32,000 travellers expected to fly, followed by Sunday 21, Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 December, with up to 31,000 customers taking to the skies each day. On the airline’s international routes, around 1.1 million passengers will be connecting to and from Aotearoa.
“Three Australian cities are firm favourites with 195,000 customers travelling to and from Sydney, 185,000 to and from Melbourne, and 120,000 to and from Brisbane,” Boyer said. “Around 170,000 customers will be crossing the Pacific with Tahiti and Fiji clear go-to getaways. Further afield, Los Angeles sees 56,000 passengers connecting to and from New Zealand these holidays.”
On the airline’s international routes, Saturday 20 December and Saturday 3 January are the busiest days with up to 20,000 passengers travelling each day. With airports expected to be bustling with travellers, Air New Zealand encourages everyone to plan ahead and allow extra time, especially if travelling with young ones, oversized bags, or needing special assistance. “We know travelling over the holiday period can be more stressful than normal but please know our teams are here to make your journey as seamless as possible,” says Boyer. “We recommend checking in online where possible, arriving at the airport early, and giving yourself time to relax before your flight.”
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