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 Auckland-Queenstown route following the addition of two more daily Air New Zealand A320 flights, and the first-year anniversary of after-dark services at the airport.
The company said its own international passenger growth was achieved across all regions. The Americas were up 21.7%, Asia-Middle East was up 18.6%, Pacific up 12.5% and Tasman up 2.9%.
Domestic traffic, up 7%, also performed well in May, contributing 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 year-round, the airport company was partnering with agencies to promote the North Island's year-round appeal to a wider Australian market through its snow and geothermal and volcanic features.
Sixty-seven 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 one-stop connection between Japan and New Zealand.
The July launch of Air NZ's new three times a week B777-200 Tokyo-Auckland service from Haneda Airport should help to alleviate the Japan capacity constraint, the company said.
