Last $25 Departure Fee Start of New Era at Auckland Airport

The departure, just before midnight on 30 June 2008, of the final international passenger to pay a $25 departure fee at Auckland Airport has signalled the start of a new era for passengers leaving New Zealand from Auckland.

Anyone leaving New Zealand from Auckland Airport now no longer needs to pay a NZ$25 international departure fee. This is as a result of the long awaited transition to a new departure fee collection process.

The old departure fee is now a thing of the past and has been replaced by a Passenger Services Charge (PSC). This is levied by Auckland Airport onto airlines, rather than travellers, based on the number of international arrivals and departures. It is at the discretion of each airline as to how they handle this levy, with some airlines indicating they will be including it in their passenger ticketing, reflecting common practice in other markets.

"Travellers have very clearly told us that the old departure fee process was not an ideal final memory of New Zealand to take away with them" Auckland Airport chief executive Don Huse said, "so we are very pleased to start a new era of simplified departure experiences for everyone."

"Auckland Airport is now in line with other major gateways around the world," said Huse, "this change reduces processing time and gives travellers a much more streamlined departure. This exciting change is a continuation of our strong commitment to the New Zealand tourism industry and to the millions of passengers who travel through New Zealand's major gateway."

ENDS

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