Auckland Airport domestic passengers decline

Auckland Airport domestic passengers slide, Easter buoys international

May 25 - Auckland International Airport overseas passenger numbers climbed last month, reflecting the positive impact of Easter, while domestic passengers fell on the impact on increased rivalry from Qantas Airways.

Total international passenger movements rose 3.2% to 608,141 in April, the company said in a statement. Total domestic passenger numbers were estimated to have declined 6.3% to 479,257.

The international pick-up reflected a 21% jump in arrivals from Australia, the largest source of visitors to New Zealand, to 55,323 in April. Arrivals from the U.S. continued to slide, dropping 7.5% to 10,463 while visitors from the U.K. were little changed, rising 0.1% to 14,860. Visitors from China fell 2.2% to 10,237, those from Japan dropped 13% to 4,409 and from South Korea dipped 43% to 3,107.

Shares of the airport company fell 0.6% to NZ$1.61 today and are down about 4% this year.

The nation’s largest gateway this month predicted retail revenue will be between NZ$90 million and NZ$93 million this year, below the market consensus around NZ$104 million. Retail accounted for NZ$51.8 million, or 28%, of the company’s sales in the first-half.

The airport said it would miss out on the savings a single duty free concession would have offered, while falling international passenger numbers and ongoing construction in the departure areas were also cited as reasons for the downgrade.

The company said there was no change to its previous full-year guidance, although it previously indicated profit would probably be in the lower end of a NZ$100-110 million range.

(Businesswire)

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