Travellers heading overseas from New Zealand's largest airport will pay a passenger services charge, rather than the present $25 international departure fees, among other changes for Auckland Airport announced at the Trenz 2008 tourism conference in Rotorua yesterday.
"More than 70% of international travellers arrive or depart from Auckland Airport and the scrapping of the departure fee would bring the airport in line with other international destinations," Auckland Airport chief executive Don Huse said.
From July 1 this year, a passenger services charge will be levied on airlines. The new $13 levy will be payable by both departing and arriving international travellers.
The charge is expected to increase 50c each year for a further two years, he said. The fee change was just one of several changes the country's largest airport was implementing, Mr Huse said.
A new international arrival area, Pier B, would be officially opened by October and the airport expected to greet the arrival of the A380 next February.
The airport would also develop a new domestic terminal and was hoping to build two hotel facilities in the terminal precinct. It is expected 24 million passengers a year will pass through the airport by 2025.
