The video simulation shows the design of Auckland Airport’s new baggage handling system, which will be developed and built next to the combined domestic and international terminal. Video / Provided
Are you going to the airport this weekend? Everyone too.
Auckland Airport is planning the busiest school holidays in years.
120,000 passengers are expected to depart on international flights for the July holiday, double the number recorded in April.
Australia tops the class for most overseas seats, followed by Fiji and the United States.
July is traditionally the busiest month for sun worshipers and departing international travelers. Auckland Airport’s chief operating officer, Anna Cassels-Brown, said their forecast indicates the terminals will be the busiest since 2019.
“This Friday is going to be particularly busy, with the following Fridays completing the three busiest departure days – both at domestic and international terminals. On the arrivals side, weekends are usually the busiest.”
This weekend, Air New Zealand announces that it will be back to three-quarters capacity on its international and domestic networks. The airline said it was the busiest period in memory, restarting 16 international routes in as many days. The appetite for the winter sun is helping to relaunch the resumption of international routes.
The Sunshine Coast, Hobart and Adelaide are back online this weekend, as are Noumea, Honolulu and Pape’ete.
This brings the total number of international destinations connected to Auckland to 33 served by 18 airlines
Take the family line
During the school holidays, Auckland Airport will offer a dedicated line for families with young children. These will work on departure through security screening and on return through biosecurity and customs for arrivals.
The plan is to
Developed with the New Zealand Border Agency, they were first tested in the summer of 2019/20. However, it is only now that school holiday traffic has increased enough to warrant the use of family-only lines.
Cassels-Brown says the lines are there to relieve family groups and ensure the pinch points of screening work “as well as possible”.
Don’t travel hungry – bring your own snacks
While travelers’ appetite for international travel is clear, many dining options in the terminal have yet to return to pre-pandemic operations.
Particularly in the evening, there is little choice of catering services in the international terminal. Labor shortages mean the airport expects food and retail to continue to be limited.
“If you’re traveling with kids in particular, consider bringing snacks,” Cassels-Brown says.
Plan your parking to avoid the works
Added to the travelers’ calculations are the ongoing construction projects in front of the International Terminal. The site of the new public transport hub has closed car parks, which means that the nearest places are an additional 10 minutes away in D and E.
While a shuttle will run every 7 minutes from the park and ride to the international terminal, passengers are advised to arrive well in advance.
The busiest days to travel
The start of the holiday on Friday July 8 is expected to be the busiest for both domestic and international outbound travel, with international arrivals peaking on Sunday July 10.
If you want to avoid the return passenger crisis, Friday July 22 should be the busiest day for arrivals at domestic and international terminals at the end of the holiday.
Three busiest days for international arrivals: Sunday July 10, Saturday July 16, Saturday July 23
Three busiest days for international departures: Friday July 8, Friday July 15, Friday July 22
Three busiest days for domestic arrivals: Friday July 8, Sunday July 10, Friday July 22,
Three busiest days for domestic departures: Friday July 8, Friday July 15, Friday July 22
